Geneva, Aug. 19 (SANA) The United Nations warned of escalating dangers facing humanitarian personnel worldwide, saying violence against aid workers reached a record in 2025, with 907 killed, wounded or abducted.
In a statement marking World Humanitarian Day, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 350 aid workers were killed last year, a slight decline, while the overall level of violence remained unchanged.
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, maintained by Humanitarian Outcomes, 322 aid workers survived attacks in which they were wounded, while another 235 were abducted.
Gaza remains most dangerous for aid workers
OCHA said Gaza remained the world’s most dangerous location for humanitarian personnel for the third consecutive year, with 186 aid workers killed in 2025. Sudan ranked second, with 71 deaths.
So far this year, 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 wounded and 39 abducted worldwide, the agency said.
Armed drones intensify risks
OCHA warned that the growing use of inexpensive, adaptable armed drones was increasing risks to civilians and humanitarian workers, particularly in populated areas.
During the first four months of this year, armed drones caused 80% of civilian casualties in Sudan, striking markets and health facilities, according to the agency.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the violence against humanitarian personnel as “appalling,” saying more than 1,000 humanitarian workers had been killed over the past three years. He called for stronger protection for those assisting people in crisis zones.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said attacks on aid workers were entirely unacceptable and that condemnation alone would not protect them.
He urged states to comply with international humanitarian law, protect civilians and humanitarian personnel, and impose serious consequences on violators.
Fletcher described drones as “the new face of an old danger”—the deliberate or reckless destruction of civilian lives—stressing that although technology changes, the laws of war remain unchanged.
Oxfam’s Head of Global Humanitarian Policy Bushra Khalidi also called for greater protection, warning that attacks on relief personnel represented an assault on humanitarian action itself.
UNRWA said at least 393 of its employees have been killed in Gaza since 2023.
World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on Aug. 19 in memory of 22 humanitarian workers killed in the 2003 bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, including UN Special Representative for Iraq Sérgio Vieira de Mello. The observance honors humanitarian personnel and raises awareness of the dangers facing those delivering assistance in conflict and disaster zones.
N.J/M.F
