Μake us preferred on Google The number of humanitarian workers attacked worldwide reached a record high in 2025, driven in part by the growing use of armed drones in conflicts, the United Nations said Wednesday.
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped last year, up from 833 in 2024. The database, funded by Canada and Australia, tracks major security incidents affecting humanitarian personnel.
Of those affected in 2025, 350 were killed, slightly fewer than the record 387 deaths recorded in 2024.
People sort out aid supplies in the aftermath of an earthquake, in the Chiminangos neighborhood of Cali, Colombia, August 12, 2026. REUTERS/Sergio Acero
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the level of violence as “appalling” and called on states to respect the rules of war and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
“Serving others has become more dangerous than ever,” Guterres said ahead of UN ceremonies planned for World Humanitarian Day, when flags will be flown at half-staff in New York and Geneva to honor aid workers who were killed.
Armed drones increase risks
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the spread of inexpensive and adaptable armed drones in conflicts has added to the dangers faced by humanitarian workers.
In March, drone strikes hit Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least three people, including a French aid worker. Aid convoys in Sudan and Ukraine have also been repeatedly targeted.
FILE PHOTO: Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) prepare to lower the coffin of Dr Tibenderana Katho Blaise who worked at the Centre Medical Evangelique (CME) in Hoho commune and died of Ebola virus, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, at the Nyamurongo cemetery in Bunia town, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
Gaza was deadliest for aid workers
Gaza was by far the deadliest location for humanitarian workers in 2025, with 186 aid workers killed there, according to the database. Sudan ranked second.
The UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, has reported that at least 393 of its staff members have been killed since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.
Israel, which is fighting Hamas militants in Gaza, has said it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties.
Palestinians scramble to collect aid supplies from trucks that entered through Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said earlier this year that he was seeking a high-level panel to investigate the deaths of agency staff during the war.
Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s global humanitarian policy lead, called for greater protection for aid workers.
“We’re witnessing an assault on humanitarian action itself,” she said.
