Health-care workers risk their lives in warzones. Are we protecting them enough?

Warzones are full of danger.

But that’s never stopped humanitarian workers from living and working in such places, with the aim of keeping civilians safe.

Humanitarian workers are deployed to locations ravaged by conflict or natural disasters. Most recently, they’ve helped distribute essential supplies including food, water and medicine to communities affected by the US-Iran conflict.

In the last three years, more than 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed while serving in war-torn regions. Just last week, Australia joined six other nations in calling for more legal protections for humanitarian personnel.

So what do humanitarian workers do? And are we doing enough to keep them safe?

Who are humanitarian workers?

Humanitarian workers provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people. This includes any effort that helps save lives or alleviate suffering in times of crisis whether human-made, such as war, or natural disasters such as bushfires and floods.

There are different kinds of humanitarian personnel. Humanitarians may be paid or be volunteers, and are a mix of local and international staff. All are protected under international law.

Aid workers deliver essential supplies such as food, water and medicine to people in need. They may also help distribute other resources such as sanitation equipment and temporary shelters.

Health-care workers, such as doctors and nurses, provide specialised care to vulnerable people including emergency medical care, ambulance support, surgery, vaccinations and mental health support. They usually work in teams based in existing hospitals or mobile emergency medical units.

High-risk work

Humanitarian workers in conflict zones face greater risk of kidnapping, injury and death.

The international community recognises just how dangerous humanitarian work can be. This is particularly true for health-care workers. On average, there are more than 750 threats, kidnappings and other forms of direct violence against health-care workers each year.

This prompted the International Committee of the Red Cross to launch its Healthcare in Danger project in 2011. This project aims to curb violence against health services by providing governments and key stakeholders with training and resources to better protect health workers.

However, the risk posed to humanitarian workers is only increasing. The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have become hotspots for attacks on these vital personnel. Most recently, health-care workers and hospitals in Lebanon have become military targets. Since the start of the US-Iran conflict in March 2026, the World Health Organization has confirmed 106 attacks on Lebanon’s health-care system.

Military forces may attack health-care workers and facilities for several reasons. A country or armed group may claim a hospital or medical site is being used by the enemy for military purposes, making it a legitimate military target under international law. A nation or armed group might also attack its enemy’s health system to erode the morale of its civilians and soldiers. In recent decades military forces have also increasingly fought in towns and cities, known as urban warfare. This often involves indiscriminate bombing, which may damage medical facilities located near legitimate military targets.

How are we protecting health-care workers?

International humanitarian law, also known as the laws of war, regulates how conflicts should be fought. This includes who and what is protected in times of war. These rules are found in international treaties such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions. They make three main points regarding humanitarian workers.

1. They are civilians

International humanitarian law considers humanitarian and health-care workers as civilians. This means the law would treat any attack on them as a war crime.

2. They have extra protections

These same laws provide specific protections for people who provide humanitarian and medical assistance, as well as the equipment they use. Examples of protected equipment may include ambulances, hospitals, medical helicopters and mobile medical units.

3. They are not a military threat

International humanitarian law recognises humanitarian and health-care workers are in warzones to help vulnerable people. This, as well as the fact they’re not armed, means they don’t represent a military threat and shouldn’t be targeted. This is why humanitarian workers often wear the Red Cross, the Red Crescent or the Red Crystal, all well-known emblems meaning “don’t shoot”.

Where to next?

In 2025, Australia led a push to create a new Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. The declaration has 112 signatories to date. Nations who sign the declaration commit to:

• adhering to international humanitarian law
• allowing humanitarian workers into their countries
• working to better protect humanitarian personnel, for example by providing security training for health-care workers
• taking immediate action if there are violations of the law, including prosecuting anyone who breaches the laws of war.

The declaration is not legally binding, meaning there’s no law forcing any country to uphold it. However, it’s still a crucial step in protecting humanitarian workers around the world. They risk their lives to keep others safe. It’s time we make their safety a priority.