The number of aid workers attacked around the world last year hit a record high, a humanitarian research organization has said.

A total of 483 workers were either killed, wounded or kidnapped in 2019, the highest figure recorded since records began in 1997. 

Norwegian Refugee Council secretary-general Jan Egeland said "We are seeing an increasing number of colleagues killed, abducted, wounded... if aid workers are not protected, lifelines will falter."

Despite the attack numbers rising, aid workers killed reduced from 131 in 2018 to 125 last year. 

Health workers made up more than 40 percent of the fatalities, a rise from the year before. 

However, there is so far little sign of an increase in violence towards aid workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Abby Stoddard at the research and consultancy group Humanitarian Outcomes.