On 4 August 2006, 17 Action Against Hunger staff members delivering humanitarian assistance were executed at their office in Muttur, Sri Lanka. For the past 20 years, Action Against Hunger has fought tirelessly to ensure justice is served. Action Against Hunger has published a new report featuring testimonies from the victims’ families.
It remains one of the deadliest attacks ever carried out against humanitarian workers. Its continued lack of resolution sends a powerful and troubling message: humanitarian workers can be targeted with impunity.
For Action Against Hunger, this constitutes a war crime. Under international humanitarian law, humanitarian personnel are protected and must never be targeted. The 17 Action Against Hunger employees, all Sri Lankan nationals, were providing essential services to people in need. Their murder had a direct impact on the vulnerable communities they were assisting. Seventeen families were also devastated by this horrific act.
Twenty years later, this tragedy remains highly relevant. In 2025 alone, at least 326 humanitarian workers were killed across 21 countries, bringing the total number of aid workers killed over the past three years to more than 1,000.
New Testimonies from Victims’ Families
Over the years, the victims’ families have sought answers but have never received them. Many have suffered in silence, fearing reprisals. To this day, they continue to wait for those responsible for the execution of their loved ones to be held accountable before a court of law.
For the first time, Action Against Hunger is publishing anonymous testimonies from these families in a dedicated report. The primary objective is to honour the memory of the victims and demonstrate to the world that this unresolved crime continues to haunt and affect their families and, more broadly, the humanitarian community.
“The pain I feel is immense. This loss will stay with me for the rest of my life. If he had died fighting in a war, I might feel differently, but he died helping people in need, providing them with assistance, food, and basic necessities. He died helping others,” said a family member.
Twenty Years of Fighting for the Truth
“The Muttur attack was a violation of international humanitarian law, not only at the time of the massacre itself, but also in the way the subsequent investigation was handled,” said Perrine Benoist, Co-Executive Director of Action Against Hunger.
Sri Lanka, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, is obligated to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers during armed conflict.
However, no transparent, independent, and effective national investigation has ever been conducted to establish the facts and identify those responsible. Over the past two decades, despite support from various governments and international organisations, every attempt at an investigation has been marred by irregularities and has failed to meet international standards. Despite these obstacles, Action Against Hunger has remained committed for 20 years to uncovering the truth.
“This is an obligation we have as an employer. It is also a promise we made to the families. We will continue until justice is served,” added Perrine Benoist.
On 15 May 2026, Action Against Hunger once again called on the Sri Lankan government to open an investigation and end two decades of impunity, but has so far received no response. The organisation also urged the international community to support this request and do everything possible to ensure that the truth about this crime is finally brought to light.