The past three years have been the deadliest years on record to be a humanitarian worker. Aid Worker Security Database recorded that 1,187 humanitarian workers were victims of major security incidents globally in 2025. From this macabre number, the majority of these incidents were from local humanitarian practitioners.

The understanding of the critical need to increase protection of humanitarian workers culminated in September 2025, when the Australian Government spear-headed and implemented the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. As RedR Australia is one of the most recognised and respected organisations to provide humanitarian training, the Australian Government provided generous funding for new courses and programs. Further investment from Minderoo Foundation has allowed RedR Australia to launch the Safety and Protection in Adverse and Complex Environments (SPACE) trainings. The SPACE trainings are new humanitarian trainings for local workers, free of charge, that are tailored and adapted to a cohort's specific location.

We are happy to announce that our first SPACE training delivered in Beirut, Lebanon, recently completed with insightful feedback from a local practitioner.

"Outstanding. Practical. Realistic. You learn new techniques, and it helps you on the ground.”

International humanitarian personnel often receive security training to reduce the risks they face in the field. Many national and local humanitarian personnel do not have the resources or organisational supports to adequately strengthen their safety and security capabilities, despite being most at risk of harm. RedR Australia's network of specialists allow us to train a large local cohort, delivering on stakeholders aims and goals.

Not only are local workers most at risk, women and children still bear the brunt of conflict. Our recent Beirut cohort comprised of 90% women, which highlights the necessity of training for not only practitioners but other at-risk groups.

This is the first of many; we are scheduled to deliver more SPACE trainings in Uganda, Sudan, Palestine, Thailand, and Jordan.