Attacks on aid workers hit record high in 2025, UN says

By Emma Farge

GENEVA, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A record number of humanitarian workers were attacked last year, driven partly by increased use of armed drones, the United Nations said on Wednesday, calling the trend "appalling".

Some 907 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025 versus 833 the year before, according to the Aid Worker Security Database, a platform funded by Canada and Australia that compiles major security incidents affecting aid workers.

Of those, 350 were killed, down slightly from a record 387 in 2024.