Skip to main content

Gaza remains deadliest place for aid workers for third consecutive year: UN

Gaza remained the world’s deadliest place for humanitarian workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 aid personnel killed in 2025, the United Nations humanitarian office said Wednesday. Sudan ranked second, with 71 aid workers killed during the year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement marking World Humanitarian Day. Worldwide, 907 humanitarian workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025, setting another record for violence against aid personnel, according to figures from Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database. Although the annual death toll fell slightly to 350, the UN humanitarian office said the overall level of violence showed no sign of easing. A further 322 aid workers were injured and 235 kidnapped. Read: UN urges support for Afghan women “More than 1,000 aid workers have been killed in just three years and that is utterly unacceptable,” said Tom Fletcher, UN under-s...

Gaza remains deadliest place for aid workers for third consecutive year: UN

Gaza remained the world’s deadliest place for humanitarian workers for the third consecutive year, with 186 aid personnel killed in 2025, the United Nations humanitarian office said Wednesday. Sudan ranked second, with 71 aid workers killed during the year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement marking World Humanitarian Day. Worldwide, 907 humanitarian workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2025, setting another record for violence against aid personnel, according to figures from Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database. Although the annual death toll fell slightly to 350, the UN humanitarian office said the overall level of violence showed no sign of easing. A further 322 aid workers were injured and 235 kidnapped. Read: UN urges support for Afghan women “More than 1,000 aid workers have been killed in just three years and that is utterly unacceptable,” said Tom Fletcher, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. “But just calling it out will not protect the next aid worker. States must uphold international humanitarian law and use every tool to protect civilians and our colleagues. And for those who break the rules, there must be real consequences,” he added. Violence has continued in 2026, with at least 82 aid workers killed, 97 injured and 39 kidnapped worldwide so far, the UN humanitarian office said. Drones pose threats It warned that the proliferation of inexpensive and adaptable armed drones is exposing civilians and humanitarian personnel to growing danger, particularly in urban areas. Armed drones accounted for 80% of civilian deaths in Sudan during the first four months of 2026, striking locations including markets and health facilities, according to the UN humanitarian office. In Ukraine, drones killed 80 civilians in April alone, while drone attacks also killed civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure in Russia. Attacks involving weaponised drones in Colombia quadrupled between 2024 and 2025. Read More: Israel targeted Gaza children resulting in genocide, UN inquiry says Aid workers have increasingly been caught in such attacks. A humanitarian worker was killed in a drone strike on a residential building in the Democratic Republic of Congo in March, while four humanitarian convoys were hit in Ukraine during a single week in May. “Weaponised drones have become the new face of an old danger: the deliberate or reckless destruction of civilian life,” Fletcher said. “The technology may change, but the laws of war do not.”

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/xMiL4UH

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...

Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

The International Astronomy Centre confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon of Shawwal will be impossible to sight on Saturday, March 29, across all regions of the Arab and Islamic world. This is due to the moon setting before the sun, with the conjunction occurring after sunset. As a result, observing the crescent moon, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or other means, will be unfeasible on March 29. For countries requiring an actual sighting to mark the start of Shawwal, Ramadan will likely extend to 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr falling on Monday, March 31. However, in some regions where the conjunction occurs before sunset, allowing the moon to set after sunset, some countries may choose to declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following traditional moon-sighting practices. Notably, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at noon on Saturday in parts of the western Arab world, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This event serves as definitive proof that the cresce...