Against all odds: Humanitarian workers risking it all to save lives 

In war zones like Gaza, humanitarian workers risk their lives every day to save lives and protect children. They face violence, destruction and death, while the health centres, schools and the vital infrastructure they support are repeatedly attacked and destroyed. Yet, amid the chaos and devastation they continue to show up.  

So far, in 2025, over 400 aid workers have been killed, kidnapped or injured while protecting the most vulnerable around the world. These aren’t just numbers, they’re real people making extraordinary sacrifices, often far from home and loved ones. 

This World Humanitarian Day (19 August), we remember all humanitarian workers, including the more than 470 humanitarian workers who have been killed in Gaza since October 2023. No one should lose their life while trying to help children and families survive. We honour the dedication of these teams who work tirelessly, even in the most extreme and challenging conditions.   

In the face of Gaza’s silent threat 

Among those who continue to show up is Dr. Younis Awadallah, a paediatrician, and Fairuz Abuwarda, a committed humanitarian worker, who took on an extraordinary challenge: to vaccinate 600,000 children against polio amid the war in Gaza.  

Since October 2023, more than 80 per cent of Gaza's health, water and sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged by military operations, creating the perfect yet catastrophic conditions for the spread of infectious and life-threatening diseases like polio.

Despite ongoing security threats, logistical challenges, and limited access to health services, Dr. Awadallah and his team have led an urgent immunisation campaign to protect hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children from the spread of polio, which reemerged in Gaza after 25 years. 

The first case of polio was tragically detected in an unvaccinated 10-month-old baby, prompting the Ministry of Health in Gaza to declare a polio outbreak zone in July 2024.   

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects children under five. It can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. Sadly, there is no cure; it can only be prevented through vaccination, which is crucial in the fight against polio.     

In May, Time Magazine named Dr. Awadallah in the TIME100 Health List for leading "a heroic vaccination campaign" that reached 600,000 children. Dr. Awadallah featured in Gaza's Silent Threat, a 32-minute documentary by UNICEF that follows him and his colleague Fairuz, who, during short periods of last year's ceasefire, delivered lifesaving vaccines to children across the Gaza Strip.  

But Gaza's Silent Threat is more than a story about a vaccination campaign. It's a powerful testament to the impact of war on children's health – and a tribute to the courage of families, health and humanitarian workers striving to survive and care for one another in the most fragile of circumstances. 

Humanitarian workers risk everything amid war 

Humanitarian workers in Gaza are risking their lives amid ongoing violence and access restrictions – not only to vaccinate 600,000 children against polio, but to ensure children and their families have access to lifesaving nutrition and health care, clean water, sanitation, education and protection.  

Nearly two years into the war, and humanitarian access in Gaza is more limited than ever. 

During the making of the newly released documentary, Gaza’s Silent Threat, Dr. Awadallah made a heartfelt appeal to the world that the protection of those who lend a helping hand “is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for ensuring that life and hope reach those in need”.  

For Dr. Awadallah, the role of a humanitarian goes far beyond providing treatment and supplies. It means “promoting and instilling hope in people’s hearts, supporting them psychologically and maintaining their strength in the face of problems”, Dr. Awadallah said. 

On World Humanitarian Day, Dr. Awadallah honours all those who choose to walk towards danger rather than away from it. 

Humanitarian workers in Gaza and everywhere in the world. regardless of their specialties, “are witnesses that mercy knows no boundaries, and that human solidarity can flourish even during wars or amid the rubble”, he added. 

UNICEF’s teams were on the ground in Gaza before the conflict escalated, remain throughout the devastation, and despite the immense risk and extreme operating challenges, our teams will stay and deliver long after, no matter what. 

Humanitarian workers and the people they serve MUST always be protected, not only in Gaza, but in Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and beyond. 

UNICEF calls for immediate, unimpeded and safe access for humanitarian organisations to deliver lifesaving support to children and families who are in desperate need.