NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–19 August 2011.
A UNHCR aid worker hands a blanket to a young victim of cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar in 2008
“Wherever there are people in need, there are people who help them – men and women coming together to ease suffering and bring hope,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message on World Humanitarian Day, which coincides with the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack against the UN in Baghdad eight years ago.
“From Japan to Sudan, from Pakistan to the Horn of Africa, aid workers help people who have lost their homes, loved ones and sources of income,” he added citing four countries or regions that have suffered respectively from a recent tsunami and nuclear crisis, war and displacement, massive flooding, and severe drought and deadly famine.
The General Assembly proclaimed 19 August as World Humanitarian Day three years ago to commemorate the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, which claimed the lives of 22 UN staff members, including the world body’s top envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and wounded more than 150 people.
Mr. Ban laid a wreath at UN Headquarters in New York in remembrance of those who fell in Baghdad. Many others have died elsewhere around the world, including 102 UN personnel who were killed in last year’s earthquake in Haiti in one of the most devastating blows the world Organization has suffered.
“These humanitarians often brave great danger, far from home,” Mr. Ban said. “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.”
The theme of this year’s celebration is “People Helping People,” a message highlighted by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“Everyone can be a humanitarian,” OCHA said in a message. “People affected by disasters are the first to help their own communities following a disaster. Communities, local partner organizations, international organizations and the general public can build a chain of solidarity to support communities in responding to and recovering from disasters.”
Source: un.org
