A record number of humanitarian workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025, with the growing use of armed drones contributing to mounting risks in conflict zones, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Some 907 aid workers were affected last year, up from 833 in 2024, according to the Aid Worker Security Database, a platform funded by Canada and Australia that records major security incidents involving humanitarian personnel.
Of those, 350 were killed. While the figure was slightly lower than the record 387 deaths reported in 2024, the overall level of violence against humanitarian workers reached a new high.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as “appalling” and called on states to respect the rules of war and ensure those responsible for attacks are held accountable.
“Serving others has become more dangerous than ever,” Guterres said ahead of UN ceremonies marking World Humanitarian Day (19 August).
Flags were due to be flown at half-mast in New York and Geneva in honour of humanitarian workers who have been killed.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones in modern conflicts had increased the dangers faced by humanitarian workers.
In March, drone strikes hit Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least three people, including a French aid worker.
Humanitarian convoys operating in Sudan and Ukraine have also repeatedly been struck.
Gaza was by far the deadliest location for humanitarian personnel in 2025, with 186 aid workers killed during the year, according to the database. Sudan recorded the second-highest number of deaths.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has said at least 393 of its staff have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Gaza war began on 7 October 2023.
Israel, which is fighting Hamas in the Strip, has said it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties.
UNRWA’s former chief Philippe Lazzarini said earlier this year that he was seeking the establishment of a high-level panel to investigate the deaths of staff members.
Bushra Khalidi, global humanitarian policy lead at Oxfam, called for stronger measures to protect humanitarian personnel working in conflict zones.
“We’re witnessing an assault on humanitarian action itself,” she said.
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