Let¡¯s make protecting each other our greatest achievement
On 19 August, we mark World Humanitarian Day: a time to honour humanitarian workers and to stand with people affected by crises around the world.
When lives are at risk, the people who come to help should never be targets. Yet humanitarian workers continue to be killed, injured, abducted, detained and obstructed while carrying out their work. Most are national staff serving their own communities.
Under international humanitarian law, civilians ¡ª including humanitarian and medical personnel ¡ª must be respected and protected. Parties to armed conflict must allow and facilitate humanitarian relief for people in need, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Attacks on humanitarian personnel have consequences far beyond the individuals directly affected. They interrupt food deliveries, health care, protection and other life-saving services, leaving communities with even fewer ways to survive and recover.
Concern is not protection. Condemnation is not accountability.
International law and humanitarian principles must be upheld in practice. Preventing attacks, protecting humanitarian access and ensuring accountability are essential to preserving life and human dignity.
This World Humanitarian Day, we call on States and parties to armed conflict to:
- Respect and protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and medical personnel.
- Allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
- Prevent arbitrary arrest and detention, and release humanitarian workers who are unlawfully detained.
- Conduct prompt, impartial and effective investigations into alleged violations and ensure accountability in accordance with international law.
- Support survivors and the families of humanitarian workers who have been killed or injured.
- Strengthen practical measures that help keep humanitarian personnel safe, including appropriate equipment and technology, security training, and mental health and psychosocial support.
Protecting humanitarian workers protects the people who depend on them for food, health care, shelter, protection and hope. Let¡¯s make protecting each other our greatest achievement.
- Use your voice: Share verified campaign information and call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel using #ActForHumanity.
- Support humanitarian action: Support organizations delivering life-saving assistance, particularly local and national responders working in their own communities.
- Stand for accountability: Call for respect for international humanitarian law and for credible investigations and accountability when violations occur.
- Remember the people behind the numbers: Honour humanitarian workers who have been killed and stand with their families, colleagues and communities.
Protecting those who help others
Every life is more than a number
Every humanitarian worker killed leaves behind family members, friends, colleagues and communities whose lives are forever changed. World Humanitarian Day honours their lives, service and legacy, while renewing the call to protect those who continue this work.
Local humanitarian workers face the greatest risks
Most humanitarian personnel affected by violence are national staff working in the places where they live. Protection efforts must reflect the risks they face and ensure that local and national responders have the resources, training and support they need.
Drones and other emerging war technologies
From armed drones to artificial intelligence, the technology of war is changing. Our humanity cannot. Whatever weapons or technologies are used, parties to armed conflict remain bound by international humanitarian law.
- All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid, and in any event minimize, civilian harm.
- Human judgment and accountability must remain central to decisions involving the use of lethal force.
- Humanitarian and medical personnel, their facilities, vehicles and work must be respected and protected.
- Technology used to identify or track humanitarian operations must never be misused to target them.
Background
On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian workers, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted , designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day.
Each year, World Humanitarian Day brings together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of humanitarian workers.
World Humanitarian Day is a campaign by the .
2026 Campaign Message
The time for concern is over. The time for consequence is now.
Facts & Figures
- By the end of May 2026, more than 252 million people were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection ¡ª 13 million more than when the 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview was launched. ()
- At mid-year, humanitarian partners were planning to assist 143.2 million people, with nearly 89 million people facing the most severe needs prioritized for life-saving support. ()
- By the end of April 2026, humanitarian partners had provided an estimated 45.2 million people with at least one form of assistance or protection ¡ª about one in six of all people in need. ()
- As of 31 May 2026, humanitarian plans required US$33.66 billion and had received US$8.21 billion ¡ª 24.4 per cent of the amount required. ()
- OCHA reported that at least 326 humanitarian workers were killed across 21 countries in 2025, bringing the number killed over the three-year period to more than 1,000. ()
- Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ recorded more than 37,000 civilian deaths across 20 armed conflicts in 2025 ¡ª approximately one recorded civilian death every 14 minutes. The figure is a documented minimum and does not represent the full toll. ()
Figures reflect the reporting dates indicated in the cited sources and may be revised as additional information becomes available.
Documents
- (S/2026/390)
- (A/RES/63/139)
- (A/RES/74/116)
