Aid Worker Security Database: Difference between revisions

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The '''Aid Worker Security Database''' (AWSD) is a project of the international research group, Humanitarian Outcomes. Funded by [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]], it records major incidents, from 1997 to present, of [[Attacks on humanitarian workers|attacks on humanitarian workers worldwide]]. As cited in the [[The New York Times|''New York Times'']], “it"it is widely regarded as an authoritative reference for aid organisations and governments in assessing trends in security threats.”"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/19/world/asia/attacks-on-aid-workers-jump-worldwide-group-says.html|title=Attacks on Aid Workers Jump Worldwide, Group Says|last=Gladstone|first=Rick|date=2014-08-18|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-06-27|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Since its inception in 2005 as the first fully comprehensive compilation of this data, the AWSD has been a source of quantitative evidence on matters related to the security of humanitarian operations in conflict, referenced in policy debates and cited in official [[United Nations]] statements,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/statement-and-speech/USG-ERC%20OBrien%20remarks%20at%20High-Level%20Panel%20on%20Reaching%20people%20in%20need%20%20_ECOSOC_HAS.pdf|title=United Nations Remarks at the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment High-Level Panel|last=O'Brien|first=Stephen|date=June 22, 2017|website=United Nations|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> [[United Nations General Assembly]] resolutions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/72/131|title=Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 11 December 2017|last=|first=|date=January 15, 2018|website=United Nations General Assembly|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> [[United Nations Security Council]] documents,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://undocs.org/pdf?symbol=en/S/2014/571|title=Letter dated 5 August 2014 from the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General|last=Grant|first=Mark Lyall|date=August 6, 2014|website=United Nations Security Council|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> and reports of the [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/N1829672.pdf|title=Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel|last=Report of the Secretary-General|date=September 24, 2018|website=United Nations Secretary General|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref>

The data, which is openly available for searching and downloading, is regularly relied upon by other databases in the humanitarian crisis analysis community, such as [[Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project|ACLED]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.acleddata.com/2019/07/15/new-data-from-aid-worker-security-database-awsd-complements-acled-reporting/|title=New Data From Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) Complements ACLED Reporting {{!}} Acled Data|last=Matfess|first=Hilary|date=2019-07-15|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> It has also been cited in [[United States House of Representatives|US Congressional]] and [[United States Department of State|State Department]] documents<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3BV5zGkd3oC&q=awsd|title=State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations for 2015: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session|last=Programs|first=United States Congress House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related|date=2014|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office}}</ref> and [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]] reports,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmintdev/2008/200805.htm|title=Tackling violence against aid workers - International Development Committee - House of Commons|website=publications.parliament.uk|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> as well as by major media outlets including: [[Associated Press|The Associated Press]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/f35e7778c2bf47969ab980736a7ad7fd|title=Red Cross says health and aid workers face unabated attacks|date=2019-04-01|website=AP NEWS|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[BBC News]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49248204|title='Leadership' needed from UK to protect aid workers|date=2019-08-06|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[The New York Times]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-aid-workers.html|title=Taliban Target Aid Groups, in an Ominous Turn in Afghanistan|last=Nordland|first=Rod|date=2019-05-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-11-14|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Reuters]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.trust.org/item/20190118141414-3t6la/|title=Briton's death in Kenya adds to long list of aid worker killings|last=Foundation|first=Thomson Reuters|website=news.trust.org|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[The Economist]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/unknown/2009/08/26/in-the-firing-line|title=In the firing line|date=2009-08-26|work=The Economist|access-date=2019-11-14|issn=0013-0613}}</ref> [[Al Jazeera]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2014/08/un-killings-aid-workers-20148188434769188.html|title=UN sounds alarm over killings of aid workers|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[El País|El Pais]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2014/08/18/planeta_futuro/1408397981_984519.html|title=La ayuda humanitaria pide socorro|last=Agudo|first=Alejandra|date=2014-08-19|work=El País|access-date=2019-11-14|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> [[The Guardian]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/aug/19/deaths-aid-workers-world-humanitarian-day|title=Deaths of humanitarian aid workers reach record high|last=Jones|first=Sam|date=2014-08-18|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-11-14|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[The Irish Times]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/number-of-attacks-on-aid-workers-hits-record-level-1.1901283|title=Number of attacks on aid workers hits record level|website=The Irish Times|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[Le Figaro|La Figaro]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2014/03/21/01003-20140321ARTFIG00334-les-talibans-frappent-dans-un-hotel-de-kaboul.php|title=Les talibans frappent dans un hôtel de Kaboul|last1=Bambuck|first1=Maeva|last2=Figaro|first2=Service photo Service photo du|date=2014-03-21|website=Le Figaro.fr|language=fr|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[Le Monde|La Monde]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2014/08/19/niveau-record-d-attaques-contre-des-travailleurs-humanitaires-en-2013_4473147_3210.html|title=Niveau record d'attaques contre des travailleurs humanitaires|date=2014-08-19|access-date=2019-11-14|language=fr}}</ref> [[Scientific American]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/polio-humanitarian-workers-attacks-killings-violence/|title=Getting Killed for Saving Lives|last=Gorman|first=Christine|website=Scientific American Blog Network|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> [[The Christian Science Monitor|Christian Science Monitor]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2012/0210/Helpers-in-a-hostile-world-the-risk-of-aid-work-grows|title=Helpers in a hostile world: the risk of aid work grows|date=2012-02-10|work=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=2019-11-14|issn=0882-7729}}</ref> and [[NPR|National Public Radio]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/09/14/550944946/in-their-own-words-why-armed-fighters-attack-aid-workers|title=In Their Own Words: Why Armed Fighters Attack Aid Workers|website=NPR.org|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref>

== History ==

The AWSD was developed by Humanitarian Outcomes partners Abby Stoddard and Adele Harmer, then at [[New York University]]’s's Center on International Cooperation and the [[Overseas Development Institute]]’s's Humanitarian Policy Group, respectively. The first published research using this data was a 2006 report titled [https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/269.pdf ''Providing Aid in Insecure Environments''], by Stoddard, Harmer, and a colleague, Katherine Haver.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stoddard|first=Abby|date=September 2006|title=Providing Aid in insecure environments: trends in policy and operations|url=https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/269.pdf|journal=HPG Report|volume=23|pages=1–66|via=ODI}}</ref> This report provided statistical analysis, finding attacks on aid workers worldwide nearly doubled between 1997 and 2005 in absolute terms, and rose by 20 percent in terms of per capita rates.

== Data ==

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=== Parameters ===

[[Attacks on humanitarian workers|Attacks against aid workers]] recorded in the AWSD are defined as “major"major",” including intentional killings, kidnappings, serious sexual assault/rape, and attacks causing serious injury. The definition of an aid worker is also limited to those working in emergency contexts to provide [[Humanitarian aid|humanitarian relief]] (as opposed to political, developmental or other assistance). The aid worker victims are employees, or contractors and consultants, of [[Nonprofit organization|not-for-profit aid agencies]]. All organisations and victim names are kept confidential and not included in the public data. This choice was made because victim information is not available for all incidents, and those close to the victims may not wish to have the names published.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://aidworkersecurity.org/about|title=About the data {{!}} The Aid Worker Security Database|website=aidworkersecurity.org|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> The information that is publicly available for each incident is as follows:<ref name="auto"/>

* Date of incident