Over the past three years, more than a thousand humanitarian workers have died worldwide

April 8, 2026 Humanitarian aid

Fletcher emphasized that more than half of the deaths over the past three years occurred in Gaza and the West Bank, where over 560 people died. In Sudan, 130 humanitarian workers were killed, 60 in South Sudan, and 25 each in the conflict zones of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In total, 1,010 humanitarian workers have died over three years, and the numbers continue to rise. “This is happening not because we are careless with our own lives, but because the conflict parties are careless with ours,” he said.

In his speech, Fletcher accused the government of allowing humanitarian workers to increasingly die under the UN-marked convoy symbol and on a pre-agreed route. “These deaths were preventable, so why were they not prevented?” he said.

According to Fletcher, humanitarian workers also face systematic restrictions: they are detained, intimidated, and denied access to those in need of assistance. He provided examples: 73 UN staff members and dozens of NGO workers are held under guard in Yemen; in Afghanistan and Yemen, women are prohibited from working in humanitarian organizations; in Gaza, Israel restricts UN agency operations; in Myanmar, due to hostilities and blockades, aid cannot reach more than a thousand people.

According to the Deputy UN Secretary-General, the killings of humanitarian workers lead to the closure of clinics, food does not reach its intended recipients, and millions of people lose hope.

Tom Fletcher concluded his speech with a call for the Security Council to act “with much greater decisiveness.”

“Offenders are rarely named, and even more rarely held accountable”

Following Tom Fletcher at the Security Council meeting, the head of the UN Department of Safety and Security, Gilles Michaud, spoke. He recalled recent tragedies: the death of a UN mission employee in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as a result of a drone strike, the murder of a World Health Organization worker, injuries in Haiti, and the shelling of a Department of Safety and Security UN vehicle in Gaza. “Our colleagues, our friends have died while serving humanity, and until now, no one has been held accountable for their deaths,” he said.

Misho emphasized that threats to humanitarian workers are growing “in scale, intensity, and frequency.” Since his previous report, six more UN staff members have been killed, 90 wounded, dozens of kidnappings recorded, hundreds of cases of intimidation, arrests, and attacks on UN facilities. “Our staff, including local personnel, suffer even more in this shameful reality,” he noted.

According to Misho, recent cuts to the UN budget have led to a reduction in the level of protection worldwide, and traditional mechanisms of interaction with conflicting parties are increasingly ignored by them. “Security cannot be ensured without proper funding. Without cooperation from states, risks increase, and our colleagues perish,” he said.

Misho paid special attention to the undermining of trust and the spread of disinformation, which “criminalizes humanitarian aid and fuels violence.” He emphasized that attacks are carried out not only by armed groups, but also by states — “the very ones that signed the UN Charter and declare adherence to international law.” “Violators are rarely named individually, even less often are held accountable,” he said.

Misho appealed to governments with a call to “speak out loudly when anyone threatens, detains, or kills humanitarian workers,” and to take real measures against those who undermine their safety: “Women and men we are talking about are not combatants, not spies, not agitators. Their sole purpose is to alleviate suffering and protect those in need of assistance.”