World Humanitarian Day observed globally

19 August: World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day (WHD) was observed across the globe on 19 August 2017 with the theme #NotATarget.

The day is commemorated every year to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service and also to rally support for people affected by crisis around the world.

This campaign follows a report by UN Secretary General António Guterres, which called for the protection of civilians. Laying out his ‘path to protection’, Guterres appealed for enhanced respect for international humanitarian and human rights law and protection of civilians, including humanitarian and medical workers as well as civilian infrastructure.

Background

• Millions of innocent civilians are forced to flee or hide due to conflicts and wars around the world.

• Countless families are displaced from their homes, children are taken out from schools and communities are torn apart and the world is not doing enough to stop their suffering.

• In fact, even health and aid workers, who risk their lives every single day to serve and care for people affected by violence, are being targeted.

The WHD 2017 saw several humanitarian partners come together to reaffirm the fact that civilians caught in conflict are #NotATarget.

In an innovative partnership with Facebook live, the day saw the launch of an online campaign to advocate for the same. Besides this, several events were held across the world to raise voice against those most vulnerable in war zones and to request world leaders do everything their power to protect the civilians in times of conflict.