At least 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives worldwide in the previous year, marking another tragic year for violence against aid workers, as per the United Nations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that while the death toll slightly decreased from 2024, which was recorded as the deadliest year with 387 aid workers killed globally, the numbers were still alarming.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 322 aid workers were wounded in attacks in 2025, with 235 individuals being abducted, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concerns about the increasing dangers faced by those serving others in a video message on World Humanitarian Day.
The Gaza Strip retained its position as the most perilous area for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 fatalities last year due to Israel’s conflict in the Palestinian enclave, as stated by OCHA. Furthermore, in Sudan, 71 aid workers lost their lives in 2025 amid a prolonged civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since 2023.
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, emphasized the unacceptable toll of more than 1,000 aid workers killed in just three years, stressing the urgent need for states to uphold international humanitarian law and take all necessary measures to safeguard civilians and humanitarian personnel. He emphasized the importance of imposing real consequences on those who violate these rules.
OCHA reported that this year has already seen 82 aid worker fatalities, with 97 injuries and 39 abductions. Expressing alarm over the utilization of armed drones in conflict zones, the UN highlighted their destructive impact on civilian populations. In Sudan, drones were responsible for 80% of civilian deaths in the first four months of 2026, while in Ukraine, drone attacks claimed the lives of at least 80 civilians in April.
Fletcher warned against the increasing use of weaponized drones, labeling them as a new form of endangering civilian lives through intentional or reckless actions.
