The United Nations (UN) World Humanitarian Day will be observed on August 19 worldwide to increase public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities and the importance of international cooperation.
The day honours humanitarians who have worked in the promotion of humanitarian causes and those who have lost their lives or have been injured in the course of their work and to acknowledge the ongoing work of the humanitarian staff around the world.
The UN and its humanitarian partners are launching a ground-breaking campaign called ‘The world needs more’ which is a first-of-its-kind project that will quite literally turn words into aid.
Many communities and organisations try to increase the importance of humanitarians by distributing publicity and information material. Additionally, some try to speak to the press to help spread key messages of World Humanitarian Day, while other groups organise public events that feature humanitarian work.
The day was established by the UN General Assembly in December 2008 and was first observed in August 2009. The day was designated by the General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
The total number of people affected by natural disasters has risen over the past decade and about 211 million people are directly affected each year. Women and children are especially affected because of their ongoing struggles with poverty, insecurity, hunger, poor health and environmental decline.
There are new and difficult challenges that arise each year that will require more flexible funding and adaptable humanitarian work. The increasing economic crisis and global challenges such as poverty, global health problems, increasing prices and the rising number of people on the move have also increased the need for humanitarians each year.
