The warning comes as the United Nations (UN) marks World Humanitarian Day, with new data showing that violence against aid workers remains at historically high levels despite a slight decline in fatalities last year.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 907 aid workers were victims of violence in 2025 while carrying out humanitarian operations. The figure included 350 aid workers killed, making it the second-deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said aid workers are operating under growing pressure. “Disinformation is eroding trust. Humanitarian funding is being cut. And humanitarian access is being restricted,” Guterres said.
The UN said Gaza remained the deadliest location for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 humanitarian staff killed in 2025. Most deaths were linked to aerial bombardments.
Sudan recorded the second-highest toll, with 71 aid workers killed amid ongoing conflict.
However, OCHA warned that one of the most significant emerging threats is the growing use of weaponised drones.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said drones are increasingly bringing conflict into civilian areas and exposing humanitarian workers to greater danger. “Weaponised drones have become the new face of an old danger: the deliberate or reckless destruction of civilian life,” Fletcher said.
The impact has been particularly severe in Sudan, where armed drones were responsible for 80% of civilian deaths during the first four months of 2026, according to OCHA. Markets and healthcare facilities have been among the sites targeted.
In Ukraine, drone attacks killed 80 civilians during April alone, while attacks involving weaponised drones in Colombia quadrupled between 2024 and 2025.
Aid workers are increasingly being caught in the crossfire. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a humanitarian worker was killed when a drone struck a residential building in March. In Ukraine, four humanitarian convoys were hit in attacks during a single week in May.
The World Health OrganiSation has also recorded 639 attacks on healthcare facilities and workers so far this year.
Fletcher said more accountability is needed to protect humanitarian staff. “More than 1 000 aid workers have been killed in just three years, and that is utterly unacceptable,” Fletcher said.
The UN’s World Humanitarian Day campaign this year highlights the experiences of aid workers and families affected by violence.
Among those recognised is humanitarian driver Emmanuel Madragule, who survived an armed group attack in eastern DRC in 2024 but chose to continue working. “I cannot leave my colleagues like this. I have to stay with my colleagues,” Madragule said.
The UN is calling on governments and armed groups to uphold international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians, healthcare workers and humanitarian personnel operating in conflict zones worldwide.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
