The European Commission has issued a statement marking World Humanitarian Day on Tuesday to draw attention to the life-saving efforts of aid workers worldwide.
The day is commemorated every year on 19 August. On that day in 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
The statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič highlights the role of aid workers in disasters, crises and conflicts.
“When disasters strike, crises erupt and conflicts arise, humanitarians are among the first ones on the spot delivering emergency assistance to those affected. This selfless calling to bring relief – but also hope – to the most vulnerable must be honoured and protected.”
A hostile working environment
Aid workers often carry out their duties in war zones and environments where their own security is not ensured. “Tragically, 2023 was the deadliest year on record for aid workers, and 2024 is likely to follow the same harrowing trend,” according to the statement.
“We have stated year after year that humanitarian workers must be protected at all costs, without exceptions. But in this increasingly volatile world, words alone are not enough.”
The EU has established the Protect Aid Workers initiative to help local aid workers who have fallen victim to attacks or other security incidents while on duty with legal aid and rapid financial grants. The first of its kind, the mechanism has distributed 25 grants to humanitarian workers in need of support, worth over €240,000, since February 2024.
The majority of the applications so far received through the platform are from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In Gaza, “a humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding before our eyes over the past 10 months”.
An action in support of Olivier Vandecasteele, organised by the Olivier Vandecasteele Support Committee and Amnesty International. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
“In places such as these, where every day is a struggle for survival for every civilian, the life-saving work of the humanitarian community makes a huge difference. World Humanitarian Day is a reminder to each and every one of us that protecting aid workers is not only the right thing to do, but a legal obligation under international humanitarian law,” the statement concludes.
Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who was freed from an Iranian prison last year, also advocated on World Humanitarian Aid Day for better protection of humanitarian workers. He is the founder of Protect Humanitarians, an organisation that alongside Legal Aid Worldwide and Protect Aid Workers has launched an appeal for support to aid workers.
