The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said on Friday that 45 journalists and media staff had been killed in work-related incidents during 2021, with the highest number of them killed in Afghanistan.

According to the IFJ, nine media workers were killed in Afghanistan last year.

The annual list reported killings in 20 countries and recorded a drop from 65 killings in 2020 to 45 in 2021. Since 1991, 2,721 journalists have been killed around the world.

Last year’s figure represents one of the lowest death tolls since the IFJ began publishing annual reports on journalists killed in work-related incidents, including targeted killings, crossfire fatalities as well as bomb attacks.

For 2021, the Asia Pacific region tops the regional list with 20 killings, before the Americas (10), Africa (8), Europe (6) and the Middle East and Arab World on just one. There was also a deadly accident which cost the lives of two journalists in Iran.

While this decrease is welcome news, it is small comfort in the face of continued violence which claimed lives of journalists in countries like Afghanistan (9), Mexico (8), India (4) and Pakistan (3), the IFJ stated.

This also provides further evidence for a recurring finding in these publications that more journalists and media workers more often than not are killed for exposing corruption, crime and abuse of power in their communities, cities and countries.

The IFJ also noted that risks associated with armed conflict have reduced in recent years due to limited exposure for media professionals who are increasingly fewer in reporting close up from war theater.

At the same time, the threats of crime gang and drug cartels’ rule from the slums in Mexico to the streets of European cities in Greece and the Netherlands continue to increase and account for many targeted killings of media workers in 2021, IFJ reported.

“These 45 colleagues we lost to violence this year remind us of the terrible sacrifice journalists across the world continue to pay for serving the public interest and we remain in the debt to them and thousands of others who paid the ultimate price,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.

“The IFJ believes that the only tribute fit for the cause to which they gave their lives should be unrelenting pursuit for justice to them. That’s why we continue to advocate for the adoption of a new United Nations Convention for the protection of journalists which would ensure accountability for journalists’ killings,” he said.