World Humanitarian Day 2022: History, Significance & All You Need To Know

World Humanitarian Day was introduced to pay tribute to aid workers, people who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to support crisis-affected people across the globe. This is observed on August 19 annually all over the globe.

This Day’s campaign shines a light on the thousands of volunteers, professionals and crisis-affected people who deliver urgent health care, shelter, food, protection, water and much more.

This year, we mark World Humanitarian Day as the world is grappling with ailments like monkeypox, countries reeling under unprecedented financial crises, wars, and whatnot.

History

The humanitarian day was first observed in memory of the August 19, 2003 bombing of Canal Hotel, Baghdad in Iraq which killed 22 persons including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

To pay tributes and recognize the efforts of people who risk their lives for humanitarian causes, in 2009, the United Nations General Assembly formalized the day as World Humanitarian Day.

The day is the outcome of the relentless efforts of the Sérgio Vieira de Mello Foundation, his family working with the Ambassadors of France, Switzerland, Japan, and Brazil in both Geneva and New York to the table and steer the draft Resolution through the General Assembly.