World Humanitarian Day

On World Humanitarian Day, we pay tribute to the humanitarian workers who risk their lives everyday to deliver for people caught in crises around the world. Their courage, compassion and unwavering commitment in the face of adversity embodies the very best of humanity. Their work could not be more important, now more than ever. When crises happen, UNOPS helps partners identify and address urgent needs, and helps communities recover and build resilience. We live at a time of growing humanitarian needs: Our world is more violent now than at any time since the second world war. The climate crisis is wreaking havoc and natural disasters are becoming more intense, longer and more frequent. And yet 2024 has been the deadliest year on record for humanitarians around the world. In Gaza, Sudan, and many other places, humanitarian workers are increasingly caught in the crossfire, suffering injuries, abductions, and deaths, just as the people they are there to help. The deliberate targeting of h...

On World Humanitarian Day, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) joins United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations in calling for the urgent protection of aid workers and an end to the rising violence against them worldwide. IOM is urging stronger, coordinated, and decisive political action from Member States to halt this alarming trend. “International humanitarian law explicitly protects humanitarian workers, yet attacks continue with impunity. We see this play out everywhere: convoys attacked, facilities damaged, and aid corridors cut off or rendered unsafe,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope. “When humanitarians are silenced, it’s the people in greatest need who are left without life-saving support. We need to see urgent political will and real accountability to stop these indefensible attacks.” This year’s World Humanitarian Day comes as the cost for those delivering aid reaches devastating levels. In 2024, attacks killed 383 humanitarian workers, accordin...

On this World Humanitarian Day , we honour every humanitarian who risks and -- all too often -- loses their life to help others. We honour the women leaders and local responders who stand on the frontlines, often facing double peril : targeted for the work they do, and for who they are. We pay tribute to those killed, and salute those who keep showing up in the face of danger. This year’s call to #ActForHumanity is more urgent than ever. The humanitarian landscape is collapsing under escalating violence, dwindling resources, and broken promises of protection. The past year marked a devastating chapter for humanitarian workers, with more lives lost than ever before and attacks surging significantly. These deaths are not accidents. They stem from systemic failures: impunity for those who break the rules of war, eroded respect for humanitarian principles, and a growing disregard for international humanitarian law. The violence is compounded by unprecedented funding shortfalls. As at 12 A...

Survivors, families, Excellencies, colleagues: I would like to express here my appreciation to Australia and Ambassador Walsh for this initiative and for the important leadership and support you have brought to the protection of aid workers. 19 August is always a hard day. I remember exactly where I was in 2003 when I heard about the bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad. That day, 22 humanitarians were killed, including my former boss, Sergio Vieira de Mello. It was a wound to the humanitarian community that has never healed. Every year since, on World Humanitarian Day, we gather to honour those we have lost – and to stand with those who continue bringing hope to the world’s hardest and most dangerous places. But remembrance is not enough. Because today is not only about looking back. It is about confronting a present reality that is unacceptable. Last year alone, 383 humanitarians were killed – another record. Hundreds more were wounded, kidnapped, or detained. Already this year, the...

  This year, we  call for an end to the attacks on humanitarians and civilians and impunity under International Humanitarian Law . During the occasion, we will  show the importance, effectiveness and positive impact of humanitarian work.   We urge those in power to #ActForHumanity. Join us to commemorate the World Humanitarian Day 2025 on August 19th to pay tribute to humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work , and to honor all aid and health workers who continue to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need .