UN Reports 350 Aid Workers Killed in 2025 Amid Rising Drone Attacks

A total of 350 aid workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the United Nations reported, with Gaza and Sudan identified as the deadliest locations.

This figure represents a slight decrease from 377 aid workers killed in 2024, but the UN described the overall toll as unacceptable. Since the start of 2026, 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured, and 39 abducted globally. Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, stated that states must uphold international humanitarian law and ensure consequences for those who violate it.

OCHA expressed concern over the proliferation of armed drones, which are increasing lethal power and the use of explosive weapons in urban areas. In Sudan, armed drones accounted for 80 percent of civilian deaths in the first four months of 2026. Gaza was the deadliest place for aid workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 killed in 2025, largely due to aerial bombardment.

Sudan followed with 71 fatalities, a record high for the country. Other high-insecurity contexts in 2025 included Ukraine, Ethiopia, Syria, Haiti, Chad, and Cameroon, where kidnappings and aerial bombardments were common.