KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says 350 humanitarian workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the second-highest figure ever recorded, while 82 more aid workers have been killed since the beginning of this year.
UN News, marking World Humanitarian Day on August 19, reported, citing OCHA’s latest assessment, that a total of 907 humanitarian workers were victims of violence in 2025.
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, 350 of them were killed, 322 injured and 235 abducted.
The report said although the number of aid workers killed in 2025 was lower than the previous year, it remained the second-highest figure ever recorded.
It added that violence against humanitarian workers had continued in 2026, with 82 killed, 97 injured and 39 abducted worldwide since the beginning of the year.
According to the report, Gaza was the deadliest place for humanitarian workers for the third consecutive year in 2025, with 186 aid workers killed there. Airstrikes accounted for 68 percent of the deaths.
In Sudan, 71 humanitarian workers were killed in 2025. OCHA said fighting and the use of drones had increased risks for civilians and aid workers.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said more than 1,000 humanitarian workers had been killed over the past three years, urging governments to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians and aid workers.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also paid tribute to aid workers on World Humanitarian Day, saying they faced threats, detention, cuts to humanitarian funding and restrictions on access to people in need.
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