At least 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally in the previous year, marking another distressing milestone for violence against aid workers, as reported by the United Nations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that the death toll in 2025 decreased slightly from the record-setting 387 aid workers killed in 2024.
In addition to the fatalities, data from the Aid Worker Security Database shows that 322 aid workers were wounded in attacks and 235 were abducted in 2025. UN Secretary General António Guterres highlighted the increasing peril faced by those serving others, emphasizing the escalating risks in a video message on World Humanitarian Day.
The Gaza Strip continued to be the most hazardous environment for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 casualties reported in the region during Israel’s conflict in the Palestinian enclave. Sudan also witnessed significant violence against aid workers, with 71 individuals losing their lives in the midst of a civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces ongoing since 2023.
Expressing deep concern, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, condemned the alarming trend of over 1,000 aid worker fatalities in just three years, emphasizing the urgent need for international humanitarian law enforcement to safeguard civilians and aid workers.
OCHA disclosed that as of the current year, 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped. Furthermore, the UN raised alarms regarding the use of armed drones in conflict zones, citing incidents where drones were utilized to target markets and health facilities, resulting in a substantial number of civilian casualties in Sudan and Ukraine.
Fletcher underscored the grave consequences of weaponized drones in civilian areas, emphasizing the urgent need to address this emerging threat to innocent lives.