World Humanitarian Day honours humanitarian workers and those who have sacrificed their lives in the service of humanity.
When the UN offices in Baghdad were bombed on August 19, 2003, it murdered Secretary-Special General’s Representative to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 21 relief workers.
World Humanitarian Day was established by the UN General Assembly five years after the incident.
“Every year on August 19, we commemorate World Humanitarian Day in honour of those who go above and beyond to help a variety of causes.
“Those who have given up their lives for humanity purposes are also remembered.”
Each year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs introduces a theme to inspire people to raise awareness for a particular crisis.
As a result, this year’s theme will focus on climate change and its immediate human cost. Its goal is to put pressure on international leaders to take meaningful measures against climate change and safeguard the world’s most vulnerable people.
On its website, the United Nations said that World Humanitarian Day 2021 would “focus on highlighting the rapid human cost of climate change and putting pressure on world leaders to take constructive climate action for the world’s most defenceless people.”
In addition, the UN emphasized that the climate crisis is wreaking havoc on a global scale that humanitarians and frontline workers are unable to cope with.
That “time is running out” for millions of individuals who have contributed to global climate calamity and yet they are the ones who suffer the most.
