Last year, a minimum of 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally, marking another distressing year for violence against aid workers, according to the United Nations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that the death toll in 2025 slightly decreased from the previous year, which recorded the highest number of fatalities with 387 aid workers killed worldwide. Additionally, 322 aid workers sustained injuries in attacks, while 235 were kidnapped during the same period, as reported by the Aid Worker Security Database.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the heightened risks faced by humanitarian workers, stating that serving others has become increasingly perilous. Notably, the Gaza Strip maintained its status as the most dangerous area for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 fatalities in 2025 due to the conflict in the Palestinian enclave involving Israel. Sudan also experienced significant violence against aid workers, with 71 individuals losing their lives in the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Tom Fletcher, the UN’s humanitarian chief, expressed deep concern over the escalating dangers faced by aid workers, citing over 1,000 deaths in the past three years as unacceptable. Fletcher stressed the critical need for states to uphold international humanitarian law and employ all available means to safeguard civilians and humanitarian workers, advocating for real consequences for those who violate established rules.
In the current year, OCHA reported that 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped. The UN also raised alarm regarding the increasing use of armed drones in conflict zones, highlighting their destructive impact on civilian populations. Drones have been utilized to target markets and health facilities in Sudan, resulting in a significant number of civilian casualties. Fletcher condemned the use of weaponized drones, labeling them as a modern manifestation of the age-old threat of deliberately endangering civilian lives.