The UN Commemorates first Ever World Humanitarian Day

The UN’s Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today launched World Humanitarian Day. The Day commemorates the humanitarian community’s ability to respond more rapidly and effectively to crises–natural or man made. OCHA added that humanitarian assistance has “improved beyond all recognition in the last 20 years.”

Participants also recognized the loss of so many aid workers in Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories and on other continents in Africa and Asia.

“Many thousands of aid workers who have devoted their lives to humanitarian work, matching idealism with action, and principles with practice. Their selfless and non-political endeavors are vital for the necessary acceptance by all concerned that assistance to the needy should be provided impartially and neutrally, without reference to religion, gender, or race,” the organization said.

On December 11th 2008, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to mark the 19th of August as World Humanitarian Day in order to recognize the importance of international cooperation, as well as to honor United Nations personnel who have been killed while on duty.

Among the dedicated professionals was Sergio Vieira de Mello, who died on August 19 in 2003 alongside 21 other colleagues in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad.

“His memory should serve as an inspiration to all of us who carry out humanitarian work today, even as our assistance efforts in many places continue to be limited by increasingly violent frequent and targeted attacks on humanitarian staff.”

More shellings today killed at least 75 people and injured 400 people across Baghdad. State-owned Iraqiya television reported August 19 2009 as “the bloodiest day in Iraq this year.”

There was also a meeting held today by the Security Council with a message released by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ocsar Fernandez-Taranco, who said “attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and their property continue, with a lack of enforcement of rule of law. The issue of continued Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the West Bank is a matter of grave concern.”

Dozens of aid workers employed by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) have been injured or killed in recent attacks in Gaza and the West Bank.

OCHA added the day marks a need to address the facts that humanitarian needs are multiplying.  The world is facing many more new threats than before–threats of climate change, chronic poverty, the food and financial crises, water shortages, population growth and widespread pandemics.