At least 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally last year, 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) revealed that the death toll in 2025 decreased slightly compared to the previous year, which had been the deadliest on record with 387 aid workers killed worldwide.
Aside from the fatalities, 322 aid workers were injured in attacks, and 235 were abducted in 2025, as reported by the Aid Worker Security Database. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the increasing dangers faced by those serving others in a video message on World Humanitarian Day.
The Gaza Strip remained the most perilous context for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 deaths reported amid Israel’s conflict in the Palestinian enclave. Additionally, 71 aid workers lost their lives in Sudan in 2025 due to an ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Tom Fletcher, the UN’s humanitarian chief, expressed strong disapproval of the more than 1,000 aid worker deaths in the past three years, calling it unacceptable. He emphasized the need for states to adhere to international humanitarian law and take decisive actions to protect civilians and aid workers, with consequences for those violating the rules.
OCHA reported that 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped so far this year. The UN also raised concerns about the increasing use of armed drones in conflict zones, highlighting their role in civilian casualties in Sudan and Ukraine. Fletcher warned that weaponized drones represent a new form of endangering civilian lives deliberately or recklessly.
