At least 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally last year, marking another distressing year for violence against aid workers, as per the United Nations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported a decrease in the death toll from 2024, the deadliest year on record, when 387 aid workers were killed worldwide.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 322 humanitarian workers sustained injuries in attacks in 2025, while 235 were abducted, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the escalating danger faced by those serving others in a video message on World Humanitarian Day.
The Gaza Strip continued to be the most perilous environment for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 fatalities last year during Israel’s conflict in the region, as stated by OCHA. Sudan also witnessed 71 aid workers losing their lives in 2025 amid an ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, emphasized the unacceptable toll of over 1,000 aid worker deaths in just three years. He stressed the crucial need for states to uphold international humanitarian laws and employ all available means to safeguard civilians and aid workers, with real consequences for violators.
OCHA reported that 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped so far this year. The UN expressed concern over the increasing use of armed drones in conflict zones, citing instances in Sudan and Ukraine where drones were responsible for significant civilian casualties.
Fletcher warned that weaponized drones represent a new form of a long-standing threat, causing deliberate harm to civilian lives.