UK recognises aid workers for life-saving work after deadliest year on record
Source: gov.uk (2025-08-18)

On World Humanitarian Day (19 August), Minister for Development Baroness Chapman pays tribute to humanitarian workers who have lost their lives while delivering vital aid.

- 2024 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian aid workers, with 2025 set to be as bad or worse due to the ongoing crises in Gaza and Sudan
- around 100 more aid workers are set to be honoured for life-saving relief efforts in Gaza, where humanitarian need has reached new depths
Around 100 more aid workers are set to be recognised for life-saving relief efforts in Gaza, Minister for Development Baroness Chapman has announced on World Humanitarian Day (19 August).

2024 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarians, with 383 aid workers losing their lives around the world, including British citizens. 2025 is set to be as bad or worse due to the ongoing humanitarian crises in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine. Gaza remains one of the most dangerous places for humanitarians, with over 450 aid workers killed since the beginning of the conflict.

In January, the government announced the first recipients of the new Humanitarian Medal (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/first-public-servants-and-aid-workers-honoured-with-new-humanitarian-medal). The national honour recognises the courage and dedication of humanitarian workers who risk their lives to help others as part of the UK’s humanitarian responses in the world’s most dangerous places.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is now recommending around 100 more aid workers receive the honour for their efforts responding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Among the recipients will be brave humanitarians deployed with organisations like UK-MED who, backed by UK government funding, have treated over 500,000 Gazans in field hospitals over the course of the conflict and aid workers who have urgently tried to reach Gazans with food, water and shelter.

Minister for Development Baroness Chapman said:

Today, World Humanitarian Day, is a day to celebrate brave and inspiring humanitarian workers across the world. These remarkable people do untold good in places like Gaza, Myanmar and Sudan where hideous preventable conflict costs an obscene loss of life. What aid workers do for humanity needs to be recognised and celebrated.

This World Humanitarian Day, alongside our work with the international community to provide support and relief to the people of Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, we are preparing to award around 100 more aid workers with the Humanitarian Medal, for their efforts to alleviate suffering in Gaza.

Our funding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises is delivering real hope on the ground.

UK aid groups are also recognised globally as leaders in delivering lifesaving aid. Last week (13 August) the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), based in Manchester, were awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize (https://www.maginternational.org/whats-happening/hilton-humanitarian-prize-2025/). This is the world’s largest annual humanitarian award, presented to organisations that have made an extraordinary contribution to the alleviation of human suffering.

MAG, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, remove the threat of landmines and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict. Since 1989, MAG has helped over 20 million people in 70 countries rebuild their lives and livelihoods after war.

No nation can tackle global challenges alone. In a world where security threats are growing and humanitarian crises are multiplying, the UK is sharpening its focus, helping to protect aid workers and promote international humanitarian law.

The UK has suspended relevant export licences to Israel following concerns about International Humanitarian Law violations, hosted the London Sudan Conference to address humanitarian access, and increased investment in critical organisations like the international non-governmental organisation Safety Organisation and the Aid Worker Security Database that help keep aid workers safe wherever they are.

The UK is working with partners to strengthen global safety, security and prosperity. Fostering stability overseas supports our security in the UK too, helping us deliver our Plan for Change (https://www.gov.uk/missions).

Background
- we expect to be able to award the additional humanitarian medals by early 2026
the UK intends to continue our proud history of helping those in need, including in Gaza. The UK’s support to date has meant:
- UK funding to UK-Med has supported over 500,000 patient consultations across Gaza
- at least 647,000 have received food
- almost 300,000 people have improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene services
- 14,000 children have access to education materials and welfare support. The UK has provided 1.3 million items of life-saving medicines, over 50,000 shelter items and over 70,000 wound care packs
- the Prime Minister released a statement on 8 August calling for a ceasefire and a surge in humanitarian aid (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-keir-starmers-statement-on-gaza-8-august-2025), urging Israel to reconsider its decision to take further military action in Gaza
- in April, the Foreign Secretary hosted a conference to discuss the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Sudan (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/london-sudan-conference-foreign-secretary-opening-remarks). The UK announced £120 million in humanitarian support (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-new-humanitarian-funding-for-sudan), to deliver lifesaving food and nutrition supplies, including for vulnerable children and to provide emergency support to survivors of sexual violence
- the UK provided over £120 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in 2024 to 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-announces-new-sanctions-and-35-million-of-emergency-support-for-ukraine-as-russia-continues-to-attack-critical-national-infrastructure), bringing our total humanitarian contribution to over £477 million for Ukraine and the region from the start of the full-scale invasion to the end of the previous financial year
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