Last year, a minimum 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 decreased slightly from the previous year, which saw 387 aid workers killed, the highest number on record. Alongside the fatalities, 322 aid workers sustained injuries in attacks, and 235 were abducted, according to the Aid Worker Security Database.
UN Secretary General António Guterres emphasized the increasing peril faced by those serving others, stating in a video message on World Humanitarian Day that the Gaza Strip remained the most hazardous area for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 casualties recorded last year during Israel’s conflict in the region. Additionally, 71 aid workers lost their lives in Sudan in 2025 due to the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
Expressing grave concern, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, highlighted the unacceptable toll of over 1,000 aid worker fatalities in the last three years. He stressed the imperative for states to uphold international humanitarian law and deploy all available means to safeguard civilians and aid workers. Fletcher also emphasized the necessity of enforcing consequences for those violating established regulations.
In the ongoing year, OCHA reported that 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped thus far. The UN also raised alarm regarding the escalating use of armed drones in conflict zones, citing instances of drone attacks causing significant civilian casualties in Sudan and Ukraine. Fletcher condemned the use of weaponized drones as a modern manifestation of the longstanding threat of intentional harm to civilian populations.