Humanitarian workers threatened by the rise of drone warfare: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 20 (APP): Humanitarian aid workers are facing increasing risks as armed drones become more common and are used in conflicts around the world, according to the United Nations.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued the warning on World Humanitarian Day, observed on August 19. It said 907 aid workers were victims of violence in 2025, including 350 who were killed. This was the second-highest annual death toll on record.

Violence against aid workers has continued in 2026. According to the Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database, 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured and 39 kidnapped so far this year.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said humanitarian workers were facing threats, arrest and detention while humanitarian organizations were also dealing with misinformation, funding cuts and restrictions on access.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 23rd anniversary of the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Guterres remembered the 22 UN staff members who were killed in the 2003 attack. He called on staff to continue upholding the values for which their colleagues had sacrificed their lives.

Gaza was the deadliest location for aid workers in 2025 for the third consecutive year, with 186 workers killed. OCHA said 68 percent of those deaths were caused by aerial bombardments.

In Sudan, 71 aid workers were killed in 2025, the highest number recorded there in five years of conflict. Most were killed by small-arms fire. Ukraine, Ethiopia, Syria, Haiti, Chad and Cameroon were also among the countries where aid workers faced serious security threats, including kidnappings and aerial attacks.

The UN also warned that the growing use of armed drones is changing the nature of conflicts. These relatively cheap and adaptable weapons can carry out attacks over longer distances and are increasingly being used in populated areas.

In Sudan, OCHA reported that armed drones were responsible for 80 percent of civilian deaths during the first four months of 2026. Markets and health facilities were among the places hit. In Ukraine, drone attacks killed 80 civilians in April alone, while attacks in Russia have also caused civilian deaths and damage to infrastructure. In Colombia, attacks involving weaponized drones increased fourfold between 2024 and 2025.

Humanitarian and health workers are also increasingly exposed to these attacks. The World Health Organization has recorded 639 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel so far this year. In March, an aid worker was killed when a drone struck a residential building in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Four humanitarian convoys in Ukraine were also attacked during one week in May.

UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said more than 1,000 aid workers had been killed in the past three years and called for stronger protection for humanitarian personnel and civilians.

“Technology may change, but the laws of war do not,” Fletcher said.

This year’s World Humanitarian Day campaign, “Act for Humanity,” focuses on the people behind the statistics. The campaign shares the stories of aid workers who lost their lives while helping others and the families they left behind.

One of those featured is Emmanuel Madragule, a humanitarian driver who has worked for more than two decades. He survived an armed-group attack during a field mission in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in June 2024 but later returned to the field.

International humanitarian law requires parties to armed conflicts to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel. Humanitarian organizations are currently working to provide assistance to about 87 million people facing severe needs around the world.

World Humanitarian Day is observed every year on August 19 to remember those who have lost their lives while providing humanitarian assistance. The date marks the 2003 bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, in which 22 UN staff members, including UN Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, were killed. The UN General Assembly established World Humanitarian Day five years later. This year’s campaign calls on people and governments to #ActForHumanity.