Drone strikes against healthcare workers and medical facilities rose 43 percent in 2025, with 2,546 incidents recorded across 33 countries, according to a new report by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC).
The report found 790 strikes damaged or destroyed hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure, resulting in the deaths of 455 health workers.
The figures reflect an alarming rise from 16 percent in 2024, with Ukraine and Sudan recording the steepest increases.
In Sudan, incidents jumped sharply from 3 to 24 percent, including cases where first responders were struck by follow-on drone attacks while treating wounded civilians.
“Some days I see 20 patients; other days, after a missile or a drone hits, 200,” an unnamed doctor said.
Ukraine recorded a 166-percent increase from 2024, rising from 137 to 296 incidents, driven largely by short-range drones and one-way attack systems.
An SHCC member said the precision and “intentional nature” of drone strikes are forcing patients away from care, adding that drones often hit first responders responding to earlier attacks.
“War is already devastating to health, but attacking hospitals makes it doubly so: health
needs surge while services are destroyed,” said SHCC Co-Chair Rohini Haar. “Outbreaks spread, trauma rises, and preventative care is all but lost in these situations. This lasts for years, if not for decades.”
Upholding Resolution 2286
The report notes these developments occur despite international law prohibiting attacks on healthcare personnel, as affirmed by UN Security Council Resolution 2286.
SHCC said accountability remains limited, even as healthcare workers and facilities are increasingly targeted.
The coalition urged the UN Secretary-General and member states to uphold Resolution 2286, strengthen military training on medical protections, embed safeguards in domestic law, and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.
“The people paying the price are patients and the health workers trying to care for them,” said SHCC Co-Chair Joseph Amon. “Protecting health care in conflict is not only a matter of international humanitarian law, but also key to a healthy society post-conflict.”
