Over 400 humanitarian workers have been killed since October 2023 in Gaza alone
The world is no longer safe for those who choose the path of humanitarian work, an NGO advisor has warned as figures show we live in the deadliest period on record for aid workers.
On World Humanitarian Day, dire warnings about the dangers to aid workers across the globe have been shared as hundreds die annually.
In Gaza alone, over 400 humanitarian workers have been killed since October 2023 - the highest number ever recorded in such a short time.
Many were wearing visible IDs, some were in marked vehicles, others killed in buildings that should have been protected.
On average, 20 humanitarians are dying every month there - two every three days, which one expert described as “one of the deadliest crises for aid workers in modern history”.
Humanitarian advisor Mustafa Al-Soufi, who works for UK NGO network Bond, said: “In recent years, humanitarian workers have been systematically targeted, their lives taken in full view of the international community. We have learned, painfully, that not all human lives are valued equally. Too often, decisions are shaped by political calculations, not moral duty.
“19 August was once a day to celebrate achievements and honour the spirit of humanitarian work. This year, it feels like a day of mourning — not only for the lives we have lost, but for the morals and values cut down by the same powers that once championed international humanitarian law.
“These aren’t accidents. This happens because the rules meant to protect civilians and aid workers are being ignored. And when governments don’t step in, it tells armed groups everywhere: you can target aid workers and get away with it.
“This isn’t just our problem as humanitarians. It’s a warning sign for the whole system. If we can’t protect the people risking their lives for others, the cost will spread far beyond the frontlines.”
The United Nations (UN) too raised serious concerns about the dangerous situation facing aid workers.
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, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on World Humanitarian Day.
Most of the aid workers killed were national staff serving their communities, and they were attacked in the line of duty or in their homes. An additional 308 aid workers were wounded, 125 kidnapped and 45 detained in the same year.
“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.
“Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy. 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.”
The 31 per cent surge in aid worker deaths compared to 2023 was driven by the relentless conflicts in Gaza, where 181 humanitarian workers were killed, and in Sudan, where 60 lost their lives. Violence against aid workers increased in 21 countries in 2024 compared to the previous year, with State actors the most common perpetrators.
The first eight months of 2025 show no sign of a reversal of the disturbing trend: 265 aid workers have been killed as of 14 August, according to provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database¹.
Attacks on humanitarian workers, assets and operations violate international humanitarian law and undermine the lifelines that sustain millions of people trapped in war and disaster zones.
The United Nations 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.
On this World Humanitarian Day, aid workers and their supporters commemorate those killed and stand in solidarity with those serving people in need, demanding urgent protection for civilians and aid operations.
The global #ActForHumanity campaign is relaunched with added urgency, calling on the public to stand with humanitarians, demand protection and support the lifelines they provide.
Fletcher added: “Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end.”
In 2025 alone, 18 staff and volunteers of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement were killed while carrying out their lifesaving work in Gaza, in Sudan, in South Sudan, in Iran, in Ethiopia and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Many others have been killed off duty – in their homes, with their families or simply going about daily life. Others have been injured, arbitrarily detained or kidnapped.
In a statement, the International Committee of the Red Cross said: “Deliberately targeting humanitarian organisations through false and harmful information adds to the threats faced by aid workers, notably by portraying them as legitimate targets.
“Despite these risks, our colleagues continue to show up not because they are fearless, but because the suffering is too urgent to ignore. Yet, courage is not protection, and dedication does not deflect bullets.
“The Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which seeks to unite states in reversing this tragic trend, is a critical step and must translate into tangible action on the ground.
“The rules of war are clear: humanitarian personnel must be respected and protected. Every attack is a grave betrayal of humanity, and the rules designed to protect them and the communities they serve. Each killing sends a dangerous message that their lives were expendable. They were not.
“We call on all states, parties to conflict and global leaders to take immediate concrete steps to protect those who risk everything to save lives. When humanitarian workers are protected, so is our shared humanity.”
Meanwhile, the International Rescue Committee said the detrimental slashing of aid budgets from global powers including the USA and UK this year has made humanitarian aid delivery harder than ever.
Frontline workers are doing everything in their power to deliver humanitarian aid to those who need it most, while confronting extraordinary threats to their own lives and wellbeing.
Every day, aid and health workers risk their lives to care for people living under relentless bombardment and cut off from assistance. International Humanitarian Law explicitly protects humanitarian and medical personnel, and attacks on them are prohibited.
Despite this, more than 3,200 aid workers - 92% of whom were local staff - have been killed since records began.
This is evidence of the steep price humanitarian workers worldwide have pay to reach people in crisis. Almost a fifth of those killed were Palestinian humanitarian workers responding to the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Since October 2023 more than 500 aid workers, including staff from organisations the IRC partners with on the ground in Gaza, have been killed, alongside at least 1,500 health workers.
Sources from 2025 indicate at least 70 aid workers were killed in the first six months of this year alone. This means that the occupied Palestinian territory will surpass Afghanistan as the context with the highest number of killings on record.
Mohammed Mansour, IRC Senior Nutrition Manager in occupied Palestinian territory, said: “Being an aid worker in Gaza means risking your life every day just to help others survive. There is no safe space—not for us, and not for those we serve.”
Bob Kitchen, IRC Vice President of Emergencies, added: “The last two years of conflict in Gaza have had unimaginable consequences, not least for the 1.9 million Gazans who remain trapped in the occupied Palestinian territories. Today, we must bring attention to the brave humanitarian workers who risk their lives on a daily basis to provide essential services to those in need.
“If lifesaving assistance is to be delivered, civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected. Governments and all parties to conflict must safeguard the lives of those who commit themselves to helping others. Humanitarian workers are not a target, and those responsible for attacks on them or on humanitarian aid must be held to account.”
In the UK, International Development Minister Baroness Chapman paid tribute to humanitarian workers who have lost their lives while delivering vital aid.
She said: "World Humanitarian Day, is a day to celebrate brave and inspiring humanitarian workers across the world. These remarkable people do untold good in places like Gaza, Myanmar and Sudan where hideous preventable conflict costs an obscene loss of life. What aid workers do for humanity needs to be recognised and celebrated.
“This World Humanitarian Day, alongside our work with the international community to provide support and relief to the people of Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, we are preparing to award around 100 more aid workers with the Humanitarian Medal, for their efforts to alleviate suffering in Gaza.
“Our funding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises is delivering real hope on the ground.”
Those in Europe also raised huge concerns about the global impact being felt.
EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, whose organisation is one of the world's largest humanitarian aid donors, working to save millions of lives in crisis situations globally, said respect for International Humanitarian Law is under threat.
He added: “Targeted attacks on civilians and aid workers, along with the attacks against hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets are surging, while access to lifesaving aid is increasingly denied.
“Never has delivering humanitarian aid been so dangerous. With blatant violations of International Humanitarian Law occurring openly, we must confront the harsh reality of widespread impunity where perpetrators go unpunished. Without accountability for the killing of aid workers, more will die.
There are concrete steps we can take to support those risking their lives to deliver food, water, and medical care to people in need.
“As humanitarian crises become increasingly protracted, our attention must stretch beyond the most visible emergencies.
“The man-made humanitarian crises in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine have rightfully commanded global outrage. Yet countless other crises unfold beyond the spotlight.
“Humanitarian aid will remain a beacon of hope, even in the darkest of times, and the EU's support will be steadfast. Yet, I know that while humanitarian aid is essential, it is not enough on its own. Ending the suffering caused by conflicts and man-made crises requires courageous political leadership and action to forge lasting peace and protect the most vulnerable.”
Mr Al-Soufi of Bond said “the world’s promise to protect humanitarians is falling apart”, warning “only way this changes is if leaders actually act.”
He added: “Enforce the law, punish those who break it, protect humanitarian space.
“World Humanitarian Day should not be a day of mourning alone. It should be a turning point — the moment when the world decided that the lives of those who serve others are worth protecting at any cost.”
