NEW YORK, 20th August, 2026 (WAM) -- The UN warned that aid workers face a deadly and evolving threat, with armed drones reshaping battlefields worldwide – putting humanitarian teams increasingly in the line of fire. This year's World Humanitarian Day campaign, Act for Humanity, puts a focus on the people behind the statistics. The international day is observed every year on 19 August, marking the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq.
In a stark new assessment, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) marked World Humanitarian Day on Wednesday warning that 907 aid workers were victims of violence last year simply going about their lifesaving work in the face of increasing danger in conflict zones.
Fatalities fell in 2025 but remained historically high, with 350 humanitarian staff killed – the second-highest toll ever recorded.
The wider pattern of violence has shown no sign of easing this year, with another 322 aid workers injured and 235 kidnapped so far, according to the Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database, which is funded by the Australian and Canadian Governments.
In his message for the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres honoured aid workers worldwide, who face threats, arrest and detention.
“Disinformation is eroding trust. Humanitarian funding is being cut. And humanitarian access is being restricted,” he said, calling on Member States to stand up for them as they stand up for the millions who rely on their assistance across the world.
Addressing a commemoration marking the 23rd anniversary of the bombing of the UN's headquarters in Baghdad on Wednesday morning in New York, Guterress said it had been a terrible day that saw 22 colleagues killed by a massive truck bomb.
In honour of those killed in the Iraqi capital and to all others who have made the ultimate sacrifice, he said all staff need to carry forward their example and uphold the values which they all lived by.
Aid workers are increasingly being caught in the same threat. Health and aid workers are increasingly targeted. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recorded 639 attacks on healthcare this year already.