Last year, a minimum of 350 humanitarian workers lost their lives globally, marking another distressing year for violence against aid workers, as reported by the United Nations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) disclosed that the death toll slightly decreased from the previous year, which was the deadliest on record with 387 aid workers killed worldwide. In 2025, in addition to the fatalities, at least 322 aid workers were wounded in attacks, and 235 were abducted, according to the Aid Worker Security Database.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the increasing dangers faced by those serving others, as he addressed World Humanitarian Day in a video message on Wednesday. The Gaza Strip remained the most perilous location for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 fatalities last year amidst Israel’s conflict in the Palestinian enclave, as stated by OCHA.
Furthermore, in Sudan, where a civil war involving the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been ongoing since 2023, 71 aid workers lost their lives in 2025. The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, expressed deep concern, stating that over 1,000 aid workers had been killed in just three years, deeming it entirely unacceptable.
As of the current year, OCHA reported that 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 kidnapped. The UN also highlighted the alarming use of “inexpensive and versatile armed drones” in conflict zones. Drones have been utilized to target markets and healthcare facilities in Sudan, resulting in 80% of civilian deaths in the first four months of 2026. Additionally, drone attacks in Ukraine claimed the lives of at least 80 civilians in April this year.
Fletcher emphasized the grave threat posed by weaponized drones, labeling them as a modern manifestation of the age-old peril of intentionally or negligently endangering civilian lives.