A British hostage whose life ISIS threatened in a video was helping to provide humanitarian relief in Syria when he was abducted last year , an aid agency said . David Haines is a logistics and security manager for ACTED , a Paris-based relief organization that was helping provide food , tents and water at a camp for tens of thousands of people displaced by Syria 's civil war , the agency said Friday . Haines , 44 , is a longtime aid worker who has helped victims of conflict since 1999 , ACTED said . He was near the camp at Atmeh , Syria , close to the Turkey border , when he was abducted in March 2013 , ACTED spokesman Adrien Tomarchio said . ISIS , an Islamist militant group that calls itself the Islamic State , posted a video online this week showing the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff -- the second beheading of a U.S. journalist by ISIS in two weeks . After the beheading , the video shows and threatens the life of a man that it identifies as Haines . `` ACTED is deeply shocked by the images broadcasted earlier this week . The threats on David Haines ' life are intolerable , '' the aid group said in a statement . `` A man 's life should never be threatened on account of his humanitarian commitment , '' the group added . ISIS blamed the Americans ' killings on President Barack Obama 's decision last month to conduct airstrikes in Iraq against the militant group . ISIS , one of the major belligerents in Syria 's civil war pitting rebel groups against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , has taken large swaths of northern and eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq for what it says is its new Islamic caliphate . The group has brutally slaughtered both religious minorities and fellow Muslims as it tries to expand its rule , with witnesses and videos testifying of crucifixions and public executions . As logistics manager , Haines had been in charge of procuring humanitarian goods for people staying at the Atmeh camp , Tomarchio said . Haines ' years of experience as an aid worker has made him a reassuring presence among his colleagues , Tomarchio said . Haines has helped victims of conflict in the Balkans , Africa and the Middle East , the spokesman said . The Atmeh camp still is operating , but Tomarchio would n't say whether ACTED remains involved there . The group does have relief activities in Syria that are managed from a distance , he said . The United Kingdom said this week it had attempted to rescue one of its citizens held by ISIS `` some time ago '' but failed . UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond provided scant details of the rescue attempt or any other plans in the works . `` You would n't expect me to discuss various options that we will be considering , '' he said . `` But I can assure you that we will look at every possible option to protect this person . ''
Man threatened in ISIS video was working for French aid group ACTED . David Haines was abducted near aid camp in Syria in March 2013 , ACTED says . Haines was logistics manager , in charge of securing food , other aid for thousands . `` The threats on David Haines ' life are intolerable , '' aid group says .