World Humanitarian Day August 19th

World Humanitarian Day is commemorated every year on 19 August to pay tribute to humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and to honor all aid and health workers who continue to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need. The Day highlights the importance, effectiveness, and positive impact of humanitarian work.

This day was designated in memory of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. In 2009, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) formalized the day as World Humanitarian Day.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the Day.