World Humanitarian Day: A Day For Remembering Aid Workers

World Humanitarian Day: A Day for Remembering Aid Workers

Today's inaugural World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity for Australians to reflect on the contribution of aid workers throughout the world, including those who have lost their lives helping others.

Six years ago today, on 19 August 2003, the United Nations office in Iraq was bombed and 22 people lost their lives.

Among them was Brazilian United Nations diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq. Australians recall his exceptional work in our region as the UN Transitional Administrator in East Timor.

To honour the sacrifice of Mr Vieira de Mello, his 21 colleagues in Iraq and humanitarian workers around the world, on 11 December 2008 the United Nations General Assembly passed a Resolution designating 19 August World Humanitarian Day.

World Humanitarian Day allows us to reflect on the contribution aid workers make to alleviate the suffering of the world's poorest, and the ultimate sacrifice made by some.

In 2008, 260 aid workers were killed, kidnapped or seriously injured in the line of their work. The vast majority of aid workers killed in that period came from the communities they were trying to help. Australia is working actively within the United Nations to achieve greater protection for humanitarian workers.

Australia has a long and proud history of humanitarian work, both in and beyond our own region.

In the past five years Australia has responded to more than 60 humanitarian emergencies, many of them in the Asia Pacific. Many Australians have, and continue to, participate in these emergency and humanitarian responses.
In the last 12 months, the Australian Government has provided more than $180 million for humanitarian emergencies across the world. This includes Pakistan's internally displaced populations and conflict-affected areas in Somalia, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gaza.

In the same period, the Government provided more than $91 million to the World Food Programme to deliver 160,000 tonnes of food and to provide nutrition programs for children and pregnant women.

Contact:

Mr Smith's Office:
Courtney Hoogen
02 6277 7500
0488 244901

Departmental : (02) 6261 1555


SOURCE: AusAID