Safety of humanitarian workers in conflict zones

Attacks on humanitarian workers 2021-25

Recent years have seen growth in the number of major attacks on aid workers. This has coincided with a rise in the number and extent of major armed conflicts, civilian casualties, and growth in the number of state and non-state armed groups.

In 2024, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) estimated that around 1 in 8 people worldwide were exposed to armed conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross also warns that the large number of armed groups has “substantially increased the complex operational challenges humanitarian organisations face” in delivering aid safely.

In April 2025, the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, told the UN Security Council that humanitarian workers “are being killed in unprecedented numbers” and many more have been injured, kidnapped, attacked and arbitrarily detained.

She said that there was “no shortage of robust international legal frameworks” to protect humanitarian workers (see next section), but argued “what is lacking is the political will to comply”.

The Aid Worker Security Database is an independent group that provides regular updates on aid worker casualties worldwide. It collects and verifies incidents based on publicly available information and information provided by humanitarian agencies and security entities. Data goes back to 1997.

While some data is awaiting verification, it reports 402 major attacks on aid workers in 2024, up from 281 in 2023, and is the highest number it has recorded since it started collecting data in 1997. Major incidents are defined as killings, kidnappings, and attacks that result in serious injury.

Aid workers have been killed in attacks and operations involving regular armed forces, non-state armed groups, police and security forces, criminal groups, and others.

The database also reports that most aid workers killed, injured and kidnapped are employed by local organisations: in 2024, 373 national workers were killed and 11 international staff.

The situations with the highest number of major attacks on aid workers has varied overtime. In 2024, the highest number of such attacks were recorded in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (84 of 402), followed by South Sudan (39) and Nigeria (30).

The Aid Worker Security Database provides a further breakdown of incidents and their location in its Summary statistics (1997 to 2023) and The Aid Worker Security Database, 1997-present (including 2024 and 2025).

Incidents in 2025

Since the resumption of fighting between Israel and Hamas in March 2025, several incidents involving aid worker deaths have been reported. This included the killing of 15 aid workers by Israeli Defence Forces on 23 March 2025. See page 18 of the Commons Library research briefing Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 16 April 2025, for further information and the UK and Israeli response.

April 2025 also marks one year since the killing by an Israeli airstrike of seven aid workers, including three Britons, working for World Central Kitchen in Gaza. In 2025, the UK Government has called on Israel to speed up its investigation into the incident. Section 2.3 of the Commons Library research briefing Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: UK response to the conflict July 2024 to March 2025, 16 April 2025, has more on the UK’s actions.

Also in 2025, the UN has suspended movement and activities in some parts of Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. This followed the detention of UN workers by the group. Of the 52 UN personnel detained worldwide, 23 have been so by the Houthis (data of March 2025, and one died in detention in February). The UK backed the decision to pause the humanitarian operations and has called for their release.

In Sudan, in April, nine aid workers were killed in a refugee camp in North Darfur, alongside 16 children, during an attack by groups reportedly affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces.

UN Security Council actions and international humanitarian law

Protections for humanitarian workers

International humanitarian law, including the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention on protecting civilians in conflict and the 1977 and 2005 additional protocols make provision for the protection of humanitarian workers and the safe delivery of aid during armed conflict.

UN Security Council Resolutions

UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on specific armed conflicts often demand all parties to a conflict protect humanitarian workers. For example, UNSC Resolution 2720 (2023) on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories “demands” all parties to the conflict take steps to ensure the safety and security of UN and other humanitarian relief personnel and not to hinder their work. UNSC Resolution 2736 (2024) on Sudan also “demands” all parties to the conflict comply with obligations to protect humanitarian workers and facilities.

On general protections for humanitarian workers, UNSC Resolution 2730 (2024) “calls” on all states to respect and protect UN and humanitarian personnel in line with their obligations under international law. It also establishes a regular reporting mechanism to highlight issues and recommendations to the Security Council. The UK was its co-sponsor.

Russia was the only member of the Security Council not supporting UNSC Resolution 2730 (2024), instead abstaining. The UK told the meeting that:

the resolution is clear that parties to armed conflicts have obligations to protect local and national aid workers, as well as UN and international humanitarian personnel, and we call on all Member States to facilitate their work and support their efforts.

Local and national aid workers are essential in efforts to reach the most vulnerable, and who often run significant risks to their own lives to help save the lives of others.

We welcome the strong language reaffirming the importance of International Humanitarian Law, as well as the need to focus on protection from the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence.

The UN Secretary General submitted recommendations to the UNSC in November 2024. These included all states reiterating their commitment to international humanitarian law, establishing oversight bodies to monitor their compliance and provide accountability, and ensuring effective coordination with humanitarian agencies. He also said, where states were unwilling or unable to establish their own accountability mechanisms, the UNSC might “consider establishing or seizing relevant existing international mechanisms to investigate these alleged violations”, including through international courts. The UK welcomed the recommendations.

UK Government statements and action

In February 2025 the government said that it advocates for “full, unimpeded and timely access by impartial humanitarian actors” to help those in need and “consistently highlights, with grave concern” the denial of aid access and perpetration of violence against, and the killing of, humanitarian workers.

The government also said it would support the work of the International Criminal Court and local courts to hold perpetrators to account.

The UK says it will use diplomatic and political tools to encourage parties to consent to humanitarian access and the protection of workers, including at the UN and through bilateral meetings with other governments. In 2023-25, this has included raising concerns with the Israeli Government.

In September 2024, the UK joined the Australian-led foreign ministers initiative to form a ministerial group to enhance protections of humanitarian personnel. Ministers said they would “seize the momentum” of UNSC Resolution 2730 (2024) to “reverse current trends” on aid worker attacks.

The government also says it will work to support humanitarian notification systems to protect aid workers, that UK aid programmes have been used to support humanitarian access negotiations and protection, and the BBC World Service helps to combat misinformation on humanitarian activities.