August 24, 2025 — From Gaza to Sudan, Haiti to Ukraine, frontline health and humanitarian workers are facing unprecedented threats, according to the UN agency for reproductive health and rights (UNFPA). The agency reports that attacks on hospitals, clinics, ambulances, and medical personnel have surged dramatically, with over 900 health workers killed in 2024 alone—and 2025 already surpassing those figures.

In Gaza, the prolonged conflict has decimated the healthcare system. Midwives like Ayda, who delivered babies in hallways under fire, have become symbols of resilience. Tragically, Ayda was killed in an airstrike days after sharing her story, along with 37 members of her family.

Sudan’s medical infrastructure has collapsed in conflict zones, with over 80% of facilities non-operational. In Khartoum, midwives continue to risk their lives to reach patients, while hospitals like Ibrahim Malik lie in ruins.

Haiti’s health system, already weakened by years of instability, has seen hospitals attacked and burned. Armed gangs have targeted medical centers, forcing closures and displacing thousands. Sexual violence is rampant, and safe spaces for survivors are rapidly disappearing.

Ukraine’s healthcare sector remains under siege, with over 300 attacks documented by WHO this year. Women are forced to travel long distances to give birth amid shelling and drone strikes, while psychosocial support teams operate under constant threat.

In eastern DR Congo, maternal health services have been bombed and looted. Mobile clinics are often the only lifeline for displaced women, but even these are being destroyed as violence escalates.

UNFPA warns that humanitarian systems built over decades are now struggling to survive amid shrinking funding and rising insecurity. The agency calls for urgent global support to protect health workers and ensure access to life-saving care.