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World Humanitarian Day
19 August, 2021
World Humanitarian Day is to commemorate humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and to honour all aid and health workers who provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need. The Day marks the 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. In 2019, humanitarian aid meant that:
- 28.9M children were vaccinated globally against measles;
- 6.9M children (6—59 months), pregnant and lactating women with acute malnutrition were newly admitted for treatment globally;
- 32.2M people provided with access to safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene;
- 92.6M children and caregivers worldwide accessed mental health and psychosocial support; and
- 42.0M livestock were reached with vaccination and treatment campaigns.
Also in 2019, 483 aid workers were attacked leading to 125 deaths, 234 wounded and 124 kidnapped in a total of 277 separate incidents across, predominantly, Syria, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Central African Republic (CAR), Yemen and Mali.
