August 19: World Humanitarian Day (WHD)
August 19th, 2017Civilians are #NotATarget.
Humanitarian Health Workers are #NotATarget.
Health Cluster partners and humanitarians everywhere are coming together to mark World Humanitarian Day (WHD). Every year on 19 August we pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world.
Violence against health workers providing care in conflict is prohibited by international law, and has therefore been globally condemned – yet the scale and gravity of violence remains extreme. These attacks can take many forms, including looting, sexual assault, arson and bombings. Whilst attacks against health workers remain under-reported, WHO found that in 2016 there were 302 reported attacks in 20 countries facing emergencies, resulting in 418 deaths and 561injuries to health workers. 74% of these attacks were bombings.
As well as destroying human life, such attacks inhibit the ability of humanitarian agencies to respond to health emergencies, increasing the vulnerability of civilians in conflict.
This WHD we demand that leaders:
- Do not target health workers, facilities, or patients.
- Respect the right of all wounded and sick persons to receive medical care.
- Adopt and promote the UN Secretary-General’s recommendations on the protection of medical care in armed conflict.