World Humanitarian Day

"If you can't feed a hundred people, feed just one," said Mother Teresa.

Every year, on August 19, World Humanitarian Day is observed to honour humanitarian workers who have died or been injured during their work, as well as all health workers who provide lifesaving support and protection despite adverse circumstances.

World Humanitarian Day honors the contributions of humanitarian aid workers around the world.

This day commemorates those who make our lives easier and safer and celebrates the efforts made by aid workers during any crisis to help those in need.

As many as 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, were killed in a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 19, 2003.

Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating August 19 as World Humanitarian Day (WHD).

Each year, WHD focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being, and dignity of people affected by crises and for the safety and security of aid workers.

The number of humanitarians who have been harmed or attacked since August 19, 2003, has reached over 4,000, with 120 deaths since that day in 2013.

Global humanitarian needs are at an all-time high, so WHD is building on this metaphor to increase people's appreciation for humanitarian work around the world.

Whenever and wherever people are in need, there are others who can help them. They are the victims of natural disasters who are first on the scene when disaster strikes, as well as the global community need to support them.

Thousands of volunteers and professionals deliver hospital care, food, shelter, protection, water, and other necessities to crisis-affected populations around the world as part of the 2022 World Health Day campaign.

The stories of people in need and those who help them will be told through digital art in honor of World Humanitarian Day this year. A series of beautifully illustrated aid worker profiles, which collectively represent the wider humanitarian community, is at the heart of the campaign.

There are various ways to observe World Humanitarian Day:

• A monetary donation will help supplement workers' resources to help suffering communities if you are unable to donate your time to one of these organizations. For more resources, visit the UN's World Humanitarian Day website or search online for humanitarian organizations.
• As a humanitarian, you do not have to travel to a war zone—humanitarian aid is about alleviating suffering and preserving dignity. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, a nursing home, a hospital, or an organization that helps underprivileged children may be a good idea near home.
• Make a call, send an email, or tweet to your elected leaders, and ask them to take any number of actions to help strengthen humanitarian causes in the areas you are passionate about.