The United Nations declared August 19 as the World Humanitarian Day to honour all those who chose a difficult life to serve, despite the odds, those who are trapped in challenging circumstances around the globe. This day is commemorated every year to pay tribute to humanitarian workers killed and injured and also to honour all aid and health workers who continue to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need. In the second year of the pandemic and the threat from climate change, the UN has themed this year's Humanitarian Day around the human race.
The UN has urged social media users to run, ride, swim, walk or do any activity of their choice for a total of 100 minutes between August 16 and August 31 to express solidarity with vulnerable people and to tell world leaders that they expect developed countries to deliver on their decade-old pledge of $100 billion annually for climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.
To join #TheHumanRace, people can visit the World Humanitarian Day page.
Many organisations have been expressing their appreciation for the humanitarian workers serving people across the world as well as calling for urgent action.
In a tweet, the UNEP urged everyone to place the needs of developing countries at the "front and centre", saying they are the most affected by climate-related disasters.
The World Food Programme praised the contribution of its 20,000 staff, who are saving lives in times of conflict and changing lives in times of peace.
The UN Volunteers programme, which contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide, described humanitarians as "real-life heroes" who help those in need despite the risks.
At the same time, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which helps humanitarian organisations save lives of people caught in crises, said 475 aid workers were attacked in 2020, highlighting why their work demanded extraordinary courage.
The day is observed in memory of the 2003 bomb attack at a hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, in which 22 people died, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, after the UN General Assembly formalised the day in 2009.
Father, Daughter Die At National Park In US After Running Out Of Water In Extreme Heat World Population Day 2024: Know History, Significance And Theme "Ghost Town": Brazil Floods A Climate Warning To World, Says UN "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests Wife Among Two Jailed For Life For Man's Murder In Gurugram: Cops 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Elon Musk Congratulates PM Modi On Becoming Most Followed Leader On X Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.