907 aid workers attacked in 2025, UN says
Geneva, Aug. 2026 (Reuters/) The UN says 907 aid workers were attacked in 2025, driven partly by increased use of armed drones.
The UN said the number of workers killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025 increased as against 833 in 2024.
Out of the number, it said 350 were killed in 2025, down slightly from a record 387 in 2024.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the level of violence was appalling and urged states to respect the rules of war and hold perpetrators accountable.
“Serving others has become more dangerous than ever,” he said, ahead of U.N. ceremonies planned for World Humanitarian Day with flags at half-staff in New York and Geneva in honour of those killed.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the proliferation of cheap and adaptable armed drones in conflicts has increased the risks.
In March, drone strikes hit Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least three people including a French aid worker, while aid convoys in Sudan and Ukraine have been repeatedly hit.
Gaza was by far the most deadly place for aid workers in 2025 with 186 humanitarians killed there in 2025, the database showed, followed by Sudan.
The UN Palestinian refugee agency has reported at least 393 staff killed there since the Israel-Gaza war began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel, which is fighting Hamas militants in Gaza, has said it goes to great lengths to avoid all civilian casualties.
UNRWA’s former chief Philippe Lazzarini said earlier this year he was seeking a high-level panel to investigate staff deaths.
Bushra Khalidi, global humanitarian policy lead at Oxfam, called for greater protections for aid workers, saying: “We’re witnessing an assault on humanitarian action itself.” (Reuters)
