In 2024, the United Nations confirms a staggering 383 aid workers were killed on duty.
Record Number of Aid Workers Killed in 2024
A shocking number of aid workers have lost their lives in 2024, with the United Nations reporting a record 383 aid workers killed - a 31% increase from the 293 deaths recorded in 2023.
The increase in deaths was primarily driven by the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, where 181 and 60 humanitarian workers were killed respectively. Other countries with significant aid worker violence included Lebanon, Ethiopia, Syria, Ukraine, South Sudan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Myanmar, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Cameroon.
The vast majority of victims were local staff members, who tend to face the highest risks as they often operate in the most dangerous zones and communities. State actors were frequently identified as perpetrators. Aid workers are attacked both while performing their duties and at home, highlighting the pervasive dangers they face in conflict zones.
The UN's emergency relief coordinator and under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, stated that violence against aid workers must end. He emphasised that even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve. The UN reiterates that attacks on aid workers and operations violate international humanitarian law.
The UN's World Health Organization has verified over 800 attacks on health care in 16 territories this year, resulting in over 1,110 health workers and patients killed. The WHO states that each attack inflicts lasting harm, deprives communities of life-saving care, endangers health care providers, and weakens health systems.
Fletcher also stated that attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy. The UN stated that the figures and lack of accountability are a "shameful indictment" of international apathy.
As of mid-August 2025, 265 aid workers have been killed so far in the year. The figures suggest that the heightened violence against aid workers is likely to continue.
| Year | Aid Workers Killed | Notable Countries with Highest Casualties | |-------|----------------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 2023 | ~293 | Gaza, Sudan (25 deaths), others less impactful | | 2024 | 383 | Gaza (~180), Sudan (60), Lebanon (20), Ethiopia (14), Syria (14), Ukraine (13) | | 2025* | 265 (as of Aug 14) | High ongoing violence mainly in Gaza and other conflict zones |
*2025 figures are provisional but indicate continuation of heightened violence.
World Humanitarian Day, marked on August 19, commemorates the day in 2003 when UN rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 other humanitarians were killed in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad. This year's observance serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing dangers faced by aid workers worldwide.
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