GENEVA, 19 August, 2026 (Kamran Raja) — A record 907 humanitarian workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025, highlighting the growing dangers faced by aid workers amid escalating conflicts and the increasing use of armed drones, the United Nations said on Wednesday. According to the Aid Worker Security Database, which compiles major security incidents involving humanitarian personnel, 907 aid workers were attacked in 2025, compared with 833 in 2024. Of those, 350 were killed, slightly lower than the record 387 deaths reported in 2024. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the level of violence against humanitarian workers as “appalling” and urged states to respect international humanitarian law and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.“Serving others has become more dangerous than ever,” Guterres said ahead of World Humanitarian Day ceremonies planned in New York and Geneva, where flags will be flown at half-staff in honour of humanitarian workers who lost their lives.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the growing availability of inexpensive and adaptable armed drones has further increased risks for aid workers operating in conflict zones. In March, drone strikes in Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed at least three people, including a French humanitarian worker. Aid convoys in Sudan and Ukraine have also repeatedly come under attack.Gaza was the deadliest location for humanitarian workers in 2025, with 186 aid workers killed there, according to the database, followed by Sudan. The UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, has reported that at least 393 of its staff members have been killed since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023.Israel, which is fighting Hamas in Gaza, has said it takes extensive measures to avoid civilian casualties.Former UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said earlier this year that he was seeking the establishment of a high-level panel to investigate the deaths of agency staff members.Bushra Khalidi, global humanitarian policy lead at Oxfam, called for stronger protections for humanitarian workers, warning that the growing violence represents an assault on humanitarian action itself.