Established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 2008, 19 August 2009 is the first World Humanitarian Day. The designation of the Day is a way to increase public understanding of humanitarian assistance activities worldwide. The Day also aims to honour humanitarian workers who have lost their lives or been injured in the course of their work.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith MP, reflected on the contribution of aid workers throughout the world in an address to Parliament.
World Humanitarian Day allows for reflection 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 is a leader in the area of humanitarian and emergency response. For example, Australia supported a program to pre-position food in Bangladesh to mitigate the impacts of destructive cyclones before they occur. Also, In June Australia launched it Disaster Risk Reduction Policy for the Australian overseas aid program, which seeks to reduce the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of countries and communities to disasters.
More information:
Release: World Humanitarian Day: A Day for Remembering Aid Workers