Last year, a total of 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally, marking another tragic year 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 slightly decreased compared to the previous year, which recorded the highest number of fatalities with 387 aid workers killed worldwide. Alongside the fatalities, 322 aid workers sustained injuries in attacks last year, with 235 others being abducted, according to the Aid Worker Security Database.
In a video message released on World Humanitarian Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the escalating dangers faced by those serving others. The Gaza Strip retained its position as the most perilous area for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 fatalities in 2025 amid the conflict in the region. Additionally, Sudan witnessed the loss of 71 aid workers last year due to the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, expressed deep concern over the escalating violence, emphasizing that over 1,000 aid workers have been killed in the past three years, deeming such a situation “utterly unacceptable.” Fletcher stressed the critical need for states to uphold international humanitarian law and employ all available means to safeguard civilians and humanitarian workers, with a call for real consequences for those violating these principles.
In the current year, OCHA reported that 82 aid workers have already been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped. The UN also raised an alert regarding the increasing use of “inexpensive and versatile armed drones” in conflict zones. Drones have been utilized to target markets and healthcare facilities in Sudan, resulting in a significant portion of civilian casualties. Furthermore, drone attacks in Ukraine claimed the lives of at least 80 civilians in April this year.
Fletcher emphasized the concerning trend of weaponized drones becoming a new threat, posing a severe risk to civilian lives through deliberate or reckless actions.