Countries: China, Myanmar, occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine
Source: Insecurity Insight
Please refer to the attached file.
Hovering Threats The Challenges of Armed Drones in Humanitarian Contexts
Armed drones are an increasing threat to the safety of aid and health care workers, necessitating adaptations in security risk management practices. Insecurity Insight’s monitoring indicates that between 2016 and 2024, at least 21 aid workers and 73 health workers, six of which worked for health NGOs, were reportedly killed in drone attacks. Aid operations or health care services in conflict zones have been directly impacted by drone-delivered explosive weapons in at least 426 documented incidents. The rising use of unpiloted or remotely controlled aircraft (drones) to deploy explosive weapons is further limiting humanitarian access. This document discusses the impact of armed drone use on aid and health care operations, examining both the technical characteristics of these weapons and strategies to mitigate the risks associated with their use.
Armed actors’ use of drones has been a factor in conflict dynamics since 2001. Insecurity Insight recorded the first instances of drone-delivered explosives impacting health care services in 2016. Until 2022, the number of recorded incidents directly affecting aid and health care programmes remained below ten per year.
By 2023, however, 84 incidents of drone use directly impacting aid operations or health services were recorded, and this figure surged to 308 incidents in 2024. Additionally, the geographic spread of drone-related incidents directly affecting aid or health services expanded from five countries or territories in 2022 to twelve in 2024. The share of drone-delivered explosives among all incidents where explosive weapons impacted aid or health care in conflict zones increased from 6% in 2023 to 12% in 2024.
This report is based on a detailed analysis of reported incidents, indicating that aid and health workers are most frequently killed by armed drones while in vehicles, such as ambulances or aid agency cars. Drone-delivered explosives are also commonly reported to impact buildings that are vital to humanitarian programmes, including hospitals, infrastructure in IDP and refugee camps, food distribution points, and aid offices or warehouses. The report further notes that many of these incidents occur in the context of so-called anti-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations carried out by state security forces, underscoring the need for tailored and context-conscious security risk management strategies. These strategies must take into account both mobile and fixed assets to ensure the safety of staff and the secure delivery of critical programmes. In addition, there is a need to engage with stakeholders to address the fact that aid and health care operations are particularly at risk when their efforts are perceived as supporting what have been labelled “terrorist” or “resistance” groups.
The report provides technical insights into drones that are essential for developing security risk strategies tailored to aid operations. It recommends creating guidance for staff on how to respond in the presence of drones, and outlines operational measures that aid agencies can implement to avoid being mistaken for military targets. Additionally, the report emphasises the importance of humanitarian diplomacy and deconfliction efforts, proposing collective advocacy to raise awareness and address these challenges through coordinated, sector-wide strategies. Because the best security risk management approach is insufficient when conflict parties are not willing to protect aid and health services in conflict, the report also proposes to support appropriate legal accountability mechanisms for individuals directly affected by these incidents to work towards the better protection of these services when international humanitarian law is no longer respected.