Africa: Aid Workers Under Fire As Drones Reshape Warfare

What the report says

The UN is warning that aid workers are facing a worsening threat as armed drones and other forms of battlefield violence put humanitarian staff at greater risk in conflict zones. In a message tied to World Humanitarian Day, UN agencies said 907 aid workers were victims of violence last year while carrying out their duties, with 350 killed in 2025, the second-highest annual toll on record. The report also says 2026 has already brought further casualties, injuries and kidnappings, underscoring that the danger has not eased.

According to the UN News account cited by AllAfrica, Gaza remained the deadliest setting for aid workers in 2025, followed by Sudan, where intense fighting and air attacks drove a record death toll. Other areas named as high-risk included Ukraine, Ethiopia, Syria, Haiti, Chad and Cameroon. The UN also pointed to attacks on health care and relief operations, including incidents involving convoys and medical facilities, as evidence that civilians and responders are increasingly caught in the same violence.

The article says the rise of cheap, adaptable armed drones is changing how wars are fought, allowing strikes to reach deeper into towns and cities. UN officials argued that international humanitarian law still requires protection for civilians and aid personnel, and they called on governments and armed groups to respect those rules. The piece also includes testimony from aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, illustrating the personal risks faced by people who continue working in crisis settings.