Humanitarian aid: 265 aid workers killed during missions

The year 2025 will once again be a particularly deadly one for humanitarian workers. So far, 265 aid workers have been killed in action, according to data from the Aid Worker Security Database. This figure is already at the average for the past three years and could even surpass the sad record set last year (383 aid workers were killed in 2024).

According to the database, 245 attacks on humanitarian workers have been recorded so far, compared to a total of 599 attacks last year. These include killings, kidnappings, arrests, and attacks resulting in serious injuries. As in the previous year, the situation is most dangerous in the Palestinian Territories. 108 of the attacks on humanitarian workers recorded so far occurred there. In these territories, 173 aid workers were killed this year, almost reaching the total of 185 from last year. The majority of the people killed were reportedly killed in airstrikes during the Gaza War.

The situation is also very dangerous for aid workers in Sudan and South Sudan. The neighboring countries continue to be in a state of civil war. The database currently shows 32 attacks in Sudan, resulting in 36 deaths (2024: 64 attacks, resulting in 60 deaths), and 41 attacks in South Sudan, resulting in 14 deaths (2024: 47 attacks, resulting in 12 deaths).

The previous year's figure has already been exceeded, among other things, with ten deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2024: 9), seven deaths in Iran (2024: 2) and six deaths in Yemen (2024: 1).

Relatively positive developments have emerged so far in Lebanon and Ethiopia. While 20 humanitarian workers were killed in Lebanon in 2024, primarily as a result of airstrikes, not a single one has died so far this year. Ethiopia has also not reported any fatalities; last year, there were 14. In Ukraine, three aid workers were killed this year, primarily as a result of airstrikes (2024: 13), and in Syria, two (2024: 14).