“These humanitarians often brave great danger, far from home. They work long hours, in the most difficult conditions. Their efforts save lives in conflict and natural disaster. They also draw the world closer together by reminding us that we are one family, sharing the same dreams for a peaceful planet, where all people can live in safety, and with dignity.”
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
In tribute to our amazing members who share the dreams described above by Ban Ki-moon, Global Washington would like to highlight this significant day that the United Nations has celebrated over the years.
Each year on August 19th, the UN marks World Humanitarian Day. It is a day dedicated to recognize and honor all of the humanitarian aid workers who have faced countless hardships and have lost their lives in order to help others. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to correspond with the anniversary of the catastrophic bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003, which tragically killed 22 people.
August 19, 2013 marks the ten-year anniversary since the bombing, and since 2009, the UN commemorated World Humanitarian Day. The years following have focused on a particular theme to campaign for regarding humanitarianism. This year, the UN and its humanitarian partners joined together to launch a new ground-breaking project called, “The World Needs More…” This year’s campaign aims to literally transform words into aid for those who were affected by humanitarian adversity.
Through their campaign, the UN hopes for people to get involved by sharing their word that indicates what they consider the world needs more of. The UN also hopes that World Humanitarian Day will provide a great opportunity to inspire humanitarian work around the world. Events to mark World Humanitarianism Day and launch the campaign will be held in more than 50 countries around the world.
To get involved and to learn more about the UN’s campaign, visit: www.worldhumanitarianday.org