World Humanitarian Day: A tribute to aid workers on the front lines
"In recent weeks despicable attacks have killed aid workers in Niger and Cameroon, and since the onset of the pandemic, scores of health workers have come under attack across the world."
World Humanitarian Day on August 19 aimed to acknowledge the all humanitarians going to extraordinary lengths in extraordinary times to help women, men and children whose lives are upended by crises and the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The World Health Organisation stated that these “real-life heroes” represent the best of humanity as they respond to the Covid-19 crisis and the massive increase in humanitarian needs it has triggered.
“All too often, they risk their own lives to save the lives of others,” the organisation stated.
“In recent weeks despicable attacks have killed aid workers in Niger and Cameroon, and since the onset of the pandemic, scores of health workers have come under attack across the world.”
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According to Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database, major attacks against humanitarians last year surpassed all previous years on record. A total of 483 relief workers were attacked, 125 killed, 234 wounded and 124 kidnapped in 277 separate incidents. This is an 18 per cent increase in the number of victims compared to 2018.
This is the eleventh World Humanitarian Day, designated by the UN General Assembly. It falls on the day of the attack on the UN compound in Baghdad on August 19, 2003, which claimed the lives of 22 people including the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
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“To humanitarian workers everywhere doing important, courageous work on the front lines we say ‘thank you.’ You are saving lives every day, and as new challenges and crises are piling on to existing ones, your perseverance is an inspiration,” said Mark Lowcock, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
“Your protection is also paramount to making sure we can deliver to people most in need. The best way to pay tribute to humanitarian workers is by funding their work and ensuring their safety.”
To pay tribute to the efforts of humanitarians, OCHA and its partners present the personal stories of some of the #RealLifeHeroes who are stepping up to meet the challenges, particularly local humanitarian workers.
To read some of these stories, click here
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