Photo: United Nations
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.”
Isaiah 58:9b–10 (NIV)
On 19 August 2003, 22 UN staff were killed by a suicide bombing attack, and every year since 2008, World Humanitarian Day has been observed on the 19 August to honour humanitarian workers who have been wounded or have lost their lives to violence—and served as a valuable opportunity to educate and inform people worldwide on the devastating casualties of war.
As a lifelong member of the Australian church, I am conscious of this date as many humanitarian aid organisations have Christian partners. Faithful workers around the globe often put themselves at risk and in harm’s way while trying to fulfil the Biblical principles of justice, peace and neighbourly love. As the words of Isaiah 58:9–10 say, they spend themselves on behalf of the hungry, and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.
Sadly, the last few years have been the deadliest on record for humanitarian workers. Including locals and those directly employed by international agencies, last year 383 such workers lost their lives to violence, and the Aid Worker Security Database has placed the current total of humanitarian workers killed in 2025 to date at 265. In some countries, humanitarian workers are at greater risk than others. If we look at which countries have had more than ten workers killed in 2025 so far, we find that 36 were in Sudan, 14 in South Sudan, and 10 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But by far the overwhelming majority of aid worker deaths have happened in the Occupied Palestinian Territories – accounting for 173 of 2025’s aid worker deaths. This is more than the fatalities of every other conflict combined, and more than the annual global fatalities of every year on record prior to the current stage of the Israel-Hamas war that began in 2023. Aid workers are particularly put at risk when places supplying aid and medical treatment are targeted. This has been the case in the Gaza conflict. The United Nations has warned that attacks occurring at aid distribution sites or medical centres such as hospitals are a breach of international war and could well constitute war crimes.
Shooting, drone strike, and other violence are not the only dangers faced by Palestinian aid workers and other foreign agencies. Aid workers often share the privations of those they seek to help. As Baptist World Aid’s Christian partners in Gaza wrote last month, starvation is a very real threat for all in Gaza, and while international pressure has meant a partial resuming of aid, these aid drops are still far below what is needed. Humanitarian workers are not immune from this. As the Catholic-run Caritas and over 100 other aid groups revealed last month, aid workers are starving alongside those to whom they are providing vital assistance.
With the threat of full occupation, displacement and an expansion of military conflict in Gaza by the Israeli government, the scale of death could escalate even further in coming weeks and months unless a permanent ceasefire happens.
Next Steps
As Christians, we worship a God who desires an end to oppression and for the needs of the oppressed to be satisfied. Given the dire situation for humanitarian workers we should call for an end to the violence that puts the lives and those they seek to aid at risk.
We should speak into all the situations in which this is occurring, like those in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Given the large numbers of fatalities if both humanitarian workers and the general population in Gaza, we should give particular attention to the situation there. There needs to be an immediate release of hostages, and a path forward to peace that can see a rebuilding of Gaza’s homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure.
We should also be grateful for the ongoing humanitarian work that is supported by faithful Christian organisations like Anglican Overseas Aid, Baptist World Aid, Caritas, Tearfund, and so many more. This is important work for God. For those looking to support their work, I urge you to follow the links above and support the vital, life-saving work that provides sustenance and security in perilous places.
I encourage you as you reflect on World Humanitarian Day 2025, to renew your prayerful and financial support for Christian workers who deliver vital humanitarian assistance in regions affected by violence, and for continued prayer for stability, ceasefire, and lasting peace.
Theo Doraisamy is an advocacy campaigner, church volunteer and secondary teacher, specialising in HASS and Politics and Law. His experience includes coordinating the grassroots social media Referendum campaign “Voice Watch”, and political engagement as a member of the Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Network.
thewadrproject.com 