Record 907 aid workers attacked in 2025
Analysis based on 29 articles · First reported Aug 17, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026
The record attacks on aid workers heighten operational risks and costs for humanitarian organizations, potentially deterring personnel and increasing insurance and security expenditures. This may strain donor budgets and affect the delivery of aid in conflict zones, with limited direct impact on global financial markets.
In 2025, a record 907 humanitarian aid workers were killed, injured, or kidnapped worldwide, according to the Aid Worker Security Database, a platform funded by Canada and Australia. Of these, 350 were killed, a slight decrease from the record 387 in 2024. Gaza Strip remained the deadliest location for the third consecutive year, with 186 aid workers killed, followed by Sudan with 71. The United Nations, through Secretary-General António Guterres and aid chief Tom Fletcher, condemned the violence, attributing increased risks partly to the proliferation of armed drones. UNRWA reported at least 393 staff killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023. The attacks occurred amid funding cuts, with the International — European Commission affirming donor commitments. Oxfam's Bushra Khalidi called for greater protections, describing an 'assault on humanitarian action itself.'
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