When people dedicate their lives to helping others, they’re known as humanitarians. They devote themselves to saving and protecting the lives of people around the world. It’s not an easy job, and it takes someone with courage and an enormous heart. That’s why we’re celebrating humanitarians as the heroes they are on World Humanitarian Day!

World Humanitarian Day

On August 19, 2003, an attack on a hotel in Baghdad, Iraq killed 22 humanitarian aid workers. That tragic attack highlighted how dangerous and difficult humanitarian aid work can be. It was also a stark reminder that humanitarian work is valuable and necessary. As our world faces more crises, we need people who run in to help rather than turn their backs on suffering.

Accordingly, the United Nations made August 19 World Humanitarian Day to celebrate the incredible work that humanitarians do around the world. Because of humanitarians, communities experiencing crises have people who rush to help them. The day is also a chance to remember the humanitarians who were attacked in the previous year. Sadly, in 2022 alone, just over 450 humanitarian aid workers were attacked while trying to help others.

This year’s theme for World Humanitarian Day is #NoMatterWhat. It’s a theme that honors the deep commitment humanitarians make to the people they serve. No matter where, when, or how hard — humanitarians show up. #NoMatterWhat.

Meet our humanitarian heroes

Every day, it’s a blessing to work alongside the humanitarian workers we know as heroes. The reality is that they work long hours in difficult settings to serve their communities. We celebrate them every day, not just on World Humanitarian Day.

As you’ll hear in the video below, for many of them, humanitarian work isn’t just a job.

It’s a calling.

The importance of humanitarian work

Humanitarian work is important because more people are suffering every day around the world. Natural disasters, disease, and conflict make it harder for people to live safely and well. The U.N. estimates that as of mid-2023, 362 million people around the world are in need of help, from food assistance to disaster relief.

Joan Nabulya is a nutritionist with Medical Teams in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in southwestern Uganda. We asked her recently what she thought would happen if there were no humanitarians.

“I think communities that have really been disrupted because of wars and other natural disasters — they want to be built again,” she says.

She went on to say that, without humanitarian aid work,

“There would be massive loss of lives, due to lack of basic necessities, such as lack of health care, shelter, and food. And I think it would slow our process of maintaining and achieving those sustainable development goals.”

Joan knows firsthand how important humanitarian aid work is. She’s right — without humanitarians, millions of people would suffer.

Celebrating World Humanitarian Day

We know that the people we work alongside every day aren’t just humanitarians, they’re heroes. It takes a special person to stare into the face of suffering and know they can’t rest without doing something to help. Watch our humanitarians at work in this video.

We are grateful for them today and every day!