Ahead of World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, and Hadja Lahbib Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, issued the following statement:
‘On World Humanitarian Day, we honour the extraordinary courage of aid workers who put themselves in harm’s way every day to deliver food, water, shelter, and medical care to people in desperate need. Their dedication — often in places where the world has looked away — is one of humanity’s most powerful expressions of solidarity.
Their courage often comes at a terrible cost. Aid workers continue to be targeted, kidnapped, and killed at an alarming rate. So far in 2026, 82 aid workers have been killed, 39 kidnapped, and 97 wounded. Attacks on humanitarian personnel, hospitals, and civilian objects are not accidents, they are violations of international humanitarian law. And the law is clear: the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers, is not optional. Impunity only fuels further atrocities.
The scale of global humanitarian suffering today is staggering.
In Sudan, one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises continues to claim lives and displace millions, while humanitarian access is routinely blocked. In Gaza, destruction and suffering continue on a catastrophic scale.
In Ukraine, Russia’s war of aggression has created humanitarian needs that reverberate far beyond the country’s borders, disrupting food supply chains and pushing vulnerable communities deeper into crisis across Africa and the Middle East.
From the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, from Afghanistan to Myanmar, humanitarian crises continue to unfold with far too little global attention.
Emerging technologies are radically transforming warfare, creating new risks for civilians and further testing respect for International Humanitarian Law.
The European Union is one of the world’s largest humanitarian donors, and we are determined to stay the course. But funding alone is not enough. We must continue our humanitarian diplomacy to advocate for rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, so that aid workers can reach those in need.
Every aid worker killed is not only a personal tragedy; it is also a failure by the international community to uphold its most basic commitments.
Through its Protect Aid Workers rapid-response programme, the EU provides immediate support to local humanitarian workers under attack. This support is vital: local aid workers account for 90% of those targeted, while often lacking the protections available to international staff.
In 2025, the programme has assisted 782 aid workers across 25 countries.
We salute every humanitarian worker for their courage and life-saving work. Humanitarian aid is an expression of our shared humanity. The EU remains a committed humanitarian donor as long as needs persist.’
