UN raises alarm over surge in attacks on aid workers as world marks humanitarian day
The UN noted that attacks on humanitarian personnel, assets, and operations constitute violations of international humanitarian law and undermine lifelines for millions trapped in conflict and disaster zones.
As the world marks World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations has warned of an alarming surge in violence against aid workers, reporting that 383 were killed in 2024 and at least 265 more have already lost their lives as of mid-August 2025.
Most of those killed were national staff serving their communities, often attacked in the line of duty or even in their homes. The highest tolls were recorded in Gaza and Sudan, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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“A shocking new record of 383 aid workers killed in 2024 must be a wake-up call to protect all civilians in conflict and crisis and call time on impunity,” OCHA said in a statement.
According to OCHA, last year saw the sharpest rise in aid worker deaths in more than a decade, a 31 per cent surge compared to 2023. Gaza accounted for 181 fatalities while Sudan claimed 60, underscoring the devastating impact of ongoing conflicts on humanitarian staff. Beyond those killed, 308 aid workers were wounded, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained in 2024 alone.
“Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Fletcher condemned the escalating violence as evidence of global failure to protect humanitarians and civilians, calling the lack of accountability a “shameful indictment” of inaction.
The UN noted that attacks on humanitarian personnel, assets, and operations constitute violations of international humanitarian law and undermine lifelines for millions trapped in conflict and disaster zones.
“As the humanitarian community, we demand – again – that those with power and influence act for humanity, protect civilians and aid workers and hold perpetrators to account,” said Fletcher.
The UN Security Council adopted resolution 2730 in May 2024, which reaffirmed the obligation on parties to conflict and Member States to protect humanitarian personnel and called for independent investigations into violations. But the lack of accountability remains pervasive.
South Sudan, ranked the second most dangerous country for aid workers so far this year, has recorded 26 casualties since January, including 15 aid staff and 11 contractors, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. More than 200 incidents of direct violence against humanitarian operations were reported by July.
“On World Humanitarian Day, we pay tribute to humanitarian workers in South Sudan and around the world, remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and rally support for people affected by crises,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan.
This year’s theme, Act for Humanity, highlights the courage of aid workers who continue to deliver assistance despite recurrent floods, worsening insecurity, dwindling resources and mass displacement.
World Humanitarian Day, first observed in 2009, commemorates the August 19, 2003, bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 aid workers, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN’s Special Representative in Iraq.
On this day, the humanitarian community honours those who lost their lives and calls for renewed global solidarity to protect civilians and aid workers serving on the frontlines.
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