19 August 2011, 12:00 p.m.

The first World Humanitarian Day was held on 19 August 2009.

Background

In December 2008, the sixty-third session of the UN General Assembly decided to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day. On this day in 2003, a brutal terrorist attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad killed 22 people, including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. 

 Aim

The World Humanitarian Day has been designated to raise public awareness of humanitarian assistance worldwide and the people who risk their lives in order to provide it.

Every day humanitarian aid workers help millions of people around the world no matter who they are or where they are.

World Humanitarian Day is also a celebration of people helping people. The day recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of those who risk their lives to give others help and hope.

Theme

The theme for this year, “People Helping People”, is about inspiring the spirit of aid work in everyone.

Humanitarian aid is based on a number of founding principles, including humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Humanitarian aid workers should be respected, and be able to access those in need in order to provide vital assistance.

Messages of Inspiration

In his message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges the world to: “Let those we honour today inspire us to start our own journey to make the world a better place and bring our human family more closely together."

Humanitarian work in Africa

As the world is gripped by the food crises in the Horn of Africa, it may be easy to forget that the UN and a host of other organisations are working hard in many other regions on the continent.

Humanitarian aid involves addressing crises such as:

• Civil wars – as is currently raging in Libya with vital food and medical aid.

• Food security – an example is the current famine in the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia.

• Aiding internally displaced persons – inhabitants fleeing their homes due to social strive, armed conflict or natural disasters. Examples are flood or storm response, especially in the Zambezi River Basin, Mozambique and Madagascar.

• Provision of emergency medical care when diseases such as cholera break out.

•  Assistance with coordinating efforts in AIDS research and care.

To learn more about humanitarian aid work and how to volunteer, visit the World Humanitarian Day  site.