World Humanitarian Day 2010 by John Holmes - UN Emergency Relief Coordinator 2:35pm 23rd Aug, 2010   Aug 2010    World Humanitarian Day is a day to remember the millions of people affected by war, natural disasters, sickness, and malnutrition, and those who are working to relieve their suffering. Those in need desperately require our help, but our ability to reach them is, sadly, increasingly at risk.    Humanitarian aid workers strive to ensure that all those who have experienced a traumatic event and need life-saving assistance receive it, regardless of where they are in the world, and regardless of their religion, race or social group. We have no other agenda than saving lives and delivering the basics of life--food, water, shelter, medical care, protection for the most vulnerable. Yet in too many places where humanitarians work, whereas once we were respected, today we are targeted.    Violent attacks on humanitarian personnel are increasingly frequent and brutal. Over 100 humanitarian workers were killed in both 2008 and 2009 - more than three times the number killed a decade ago and twice the number killed in 2005. 2009 was, statistically and by common consent, the deadliest year yet for humanitarian staff. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, where humanitarians are too often deliberately targeted, lead the way in the numbers of deaths, kidnappings and attacks, but Sudan, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, where banditry is more the problem, are becoming increasingly dangerous too. So far in 2010, at least 30 humanitarian workers have been killed while carrying out their work.    We face a future in which more humanitarian aid will be needed to cope with the impact of climate change and natural hazards, and the rising numbers of civilian victims of internal conflicts. There are currently more than 27 million internally displaced people and 10 million refugees as a result of conflict. One out of every six people is chronically hungry. If humanitarian aid workers do not have full and free access, many hundreds of thousands of the people they need to reach will not receive the quantity or quality of assistance they require.    We therefore need to improve awareness of and respect for the principles according to which this work is conducted: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Over many years, and across many--though not all--situations of armed conflict, humanitarian actors have had a generally high level of acceptance and respect by parties to conflict. We have been protected by the UN flag and the distinct humanitarian emblems and profiles of our organizations. However, we can no longer count on this to be the case. A perception is spreading that humanitarian aid is delivered exclusively by Western organizations or agencies, or somehow represents one ideological or world view. This perception is entirely wrong, yet increasingly widespread in some areas.    Those who propagate the kind of suspicion of humanitarians that has made our work so much more deadly in recent years are often those who have the most obvious political reasons to do so to justify their own behavior, or in some cases those who have the most to hide.    But in any case better acceptance of humanitarian work by state and non-state actors alike is desperately needed. The vast majority of aid workers come from the countries in which they work. Most of the victims of attacks on aid workers are these same national staff. National and international, male and female, aid workers reflect all cultures, ideologies and backgrounds.    These brave individuals are united by their shared commitment to humanitarianism, which is a universal value and responsibility. They work on behalf of everyone. Preventing them from doing their work harms no-one more than the most vulnerable. Today is a good time for a renewed commitment to humanitarian principles by all concerned.    * John Holmes is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.    19 Aug 2010    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked World Humanitarian Day by leading United Nations officials in lauding aid workers – including some who have paid with their lives for their tireless efforts to help those who have lived through wars, catastrophes and other terrible events.    The world body is spotlighting the needs of the people that aid workers try to help such as the 10 million refugees and the nearly 30 million others uprooted within their own borders, as well as the one in every six people in the world who are chronically hungry.    “On World Humanitarian Day, we renew our commitment to life-saving relief efforts – and remember those who died while serving this noble cause,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message.    Last year, 102 humanitarian workers lost their lives, compared with 30 deaths among aid workers in 1999. In addition, nearly 280 aid workers were victims of security incidents, more the quadruple the number one decade ago.    Mr. Ban pointed out that those who survive horrifying ordeals are often left with nothing. “Humanitarian workers help them get back on their feet. They help restart their lives,” the Secretary-General said. They are the face of the best that is within us, acting in solidarity with those who are suffering.”    The UN human rights chief Navi Pillay spotlighted how the efforts of humanitarians “represent the international community’s commitment to maintaining, in the most practical sense, a fundament respect for human rights and dignity.”    The High Commissioner noted that the global support for relief work is underpinned by the conviction that the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to all people and must be upheld in all situations, especially following disasters or man-made calamities.    For his part, Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General for Health Action in Crises for the UN World Health Organization (WHO), paid tribute to the dedication and commitment of the many aid workers worldwide who toil in difficult and often dangerous situations.    “I have witnessed first-hand the awe-inspiring humanitarian spirit demonstrated by efforts at the community, national and international levels to help affected populations in such situations,” he said in a statement.    Mr. Laroche pointed to the current catastrophe in Pakistan, which has been inundated by deadly flooding that has affected many millions of people. That crisis, he said, “demonstrates the important work of humanitarians who are working around the clock to fight disease and reduce suffering.”    Somalia is the scene of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, where 12 aid workers have been killed since the start of last year and 10 others abducted and still unaccounted for. More than 1.4 million people are internally displaced in the Horn of Africa country, while 600,000 Somalis live as refugees in neighbouring countries.    The death toll for Somalia in the first seven months of this year is higher than for the same period last year, with reports of nearly 1,000 civilians killed and more than 2,500 others injured. Most casualties resulted from shelling by warring groups in the capital, Mogadishu.    In the past year, said Mark Bowden, UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Somalia, in his message for World Humanitarian Day, “working in the humanitarian field has become ever more challenging.” Access to those in need is on the wane, especially in the south-central region, where the offices of several aid agencies have been occupied, their workers harassed and their operations halted.    “Somalia is one of far too many places in the world where humanitarian workers were once respected, and today are targeted,” he underlined. “It is a place where we have seen our ability to reach populations shrink due to threats and insecurity, so that ensuring who gets assistance is that times determined by where we can reach, rather than where we ought to reach.”    Despite obstacles, relief workers in Somalia have ensured the delivery of food to 340,000 people in the capital, home to many of the country’s most vulnerable, while in the rest of the country, 1.8 million people have received some form of food aid in the first half of this year.    Aug 2010    World Humanitarian Day. (Irish Red Cross)    World Humanitarian Day was established by the United Nations in 2008 to increase understanding of humanitarian assistance activities worldwide by explaining why and how we as humanitarian aid organisations do the work we do. It is also an opportunity to honour those who have lost their lives or been injured in the course of their work as well as those who continue to bring assistance and relief to millions across the globe. Most of all however, the day is intended to bring attention on the plight of all of those requiring assistance as a consequence of conflict and natural or man-made disaster. There are currently estimated to be more than 27 million internally displaced people and 10 million refugees in the world. One out of every six people in the world is chronically hungry.    This year, the humanitarian community is using World Humanitarian Day to raise awareness of what it means to be a humanitarian worker by describing our work, explaining the underlying principles of humanitarian work and portraying the hazards that humanitarian aid workers face in the course of their work.    What it means to be an aid worker    The aid sector is truly global and encompasses people from diverse backgrounds working together under many different umbrellas. Contrary to an often commonly held perception, the majority of humanitarian aid workers come from the countries in which they work. Strong professional and independent partners such a s National Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies are fully involved in humanitarian responses and aid workers themselves, male and female, reflect a diversity of nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. Humanitarian aid organisations and their staff also share a set of principles that share their activities.    Principles of humanitarian work    The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is bonded by the seven Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.    Humanity, Neutrality, Impartiality and Independence are the basic principles on which all humanitarian organisations act on behalf of those in need and in their most general sense are interpreted as follows.    Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found. The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings.    Neutrality: Humanitarian actors must not take sides in hostilities or engage in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.    Impartiality: Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinion.    Operational Independence: Humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented".    Increasingly there is an ever greater need for assistance to the most vulnerable in both our immediate and distant communities and raising awareness of the principles of humanitarian work, and respect for them, is essential to enabling humanitarian organisations and their staff to fulfil their mission.    The most vulnerable members of our global community, those in the greatest need, often live in places which are remote, usually difficult, and frequently dangerous as a result of conflict or natural or man-made disaster. By definition therefore, meeting the needs of people in such contexts is hazardous. Each year however, there is an increase in the number of humanitarian aid workers of all backgrounds killed or injured in the course of their work.    Still, the humanitarian community has not been deterred from its mission to respond rapidly and effectively to emergencies.    Humanitarian work is, by its nature, challenging and ensuring respect for aid workers and safe access to those in need, essential. The challenge is not one that can be ignored however and as many aid workers will tell you, the reward and the sense of achievement is equally as great. Visit the related web page
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