Last year, a minimum of 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally, marking another tragic year for violence against aid workers, according to the United Nations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a slight decrease in fatalities compared to the previous year, which saw the deadliest toll on record with 387 aid workers killed worldwide.
In addition to the fatalities, 322 aid workers sustained injuries in attacks in 2025, and 235 were kidnapped, as per the Aid Worker Security Database. UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the increasing dangers faced by those serving others, emphasizing the risks humanitarian workers encounter.
The Gaza Strip maintained its status as the most perilous context for aid workers for the third year in a row, with 186 fatalities last year during Israel’s conflict in the region. Sudan also witnessed significant violence against aid workers, with 71 casualties in 2025 due to the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since 2023.
Expressing concern, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, condemned the unacceptable toll of over 1,000 aid worker deaths in just three years. He stressed the importance of upholding international humanitarian law and enforcing consequences for those violating the rules to safeguard civilians and humanitarian personnel.
OCHA’s latest report revealed that 82 aid workers have already been killed this year, with 97 injured and 39 kidnapped. The UN also raised alarms about the increasing use of armed drones in conflict zones, citing their deployment in attacks on markets and health facilities, resulting in a high percentage of civilian casualties in Sudan and Ukraine.
Fletcher emphasized the grave threat posed by weaponized drones, describing them as a new manifestation of the longstanding danger of deliberately or recklessly targeting civilian lives.
