Oxfam aid workers killed in southern Syria during aid delivery

Two Syrian aid workers for Oxfam International were killed in an attack in the southern Syria governorate of Daraa on Wednesday, the international aid group said in a statement. 

Wissam Hazim, a staff safety officer, and Adel al-Halabi, a driver for the charity, were killed by an unidentified armed group who attacked their vehicle between the towns of Nawa and al-Yadudah. 

Both Hazim and Halabi had been working for Oxfam since 2017, the organisation said. 

Oxfam Syria country director Moutaz Adham condemned the attack and called on better safety measures for aid workers. 

"We are devastated by the loss of two valued colleagues who were killed as they worked to deliver aid to civilians caught in the Syrian conflict," Adham said. 

"Our love and thoughts are with their families. We condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms. It is essential that aid workers are able to get lifesaving assistance to civilians without being attacked themselves."

Since the start of the Syrian civil war, at least 1,000 humanitarian aid workers have been killed, according to figures compiled by the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

In 2018, Syria topped the list of one of the deadliest places for aid workers, based on an analysis by CARE International.