World Humanitarian Day 2026: Commemorated on 19 August

Every year on 19 August, World Humanitarian Day is observed to honour humanitarian workers and to stand together with people affected by crises around the world. According to the official United Nations website, under international humanitarian law, civilians – including humanitarian and medical personnel – must be respected and protected. Parties involved in armed conflict must allow and facilitate humanitarian assistance for people in need, in accordance with international humanitarian law. Attacks on humanitarian personnel have consequences that extend far beyond the individuals directly affected. Such attacks disrupt the delivery of food, healthcare, protection and other life-saving services, making it increasingly difficult for communities to survive and recover.

On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian workers, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 63/139, designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day. Each year, World Humanitarian Day brings together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, as well as the safety and security of humanitarian workers. World Humanitarian Day is a campaign initiated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

As we commemorate World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, WHO pays tribute to humanitarian and health workers who place their duty of care above their own safety and, often, their own lives, as they serve communities affected by conflict and crisis. World Humanitarian Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to commemorate the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003 and to honour aid workers around the world. This year’s global campaign, led by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), focuses on ‘Families of Fallen Humanitarians’, highlighting the personal stories of aid workers through the voices of families, loved ones and the communities they left behind. For WHO, World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity to honour the memory of colleagues and health workers who have fallen in the line of duty, while also recognising the dedication of health workers who continue to provide care in some of the world’s most challenging and dangerous environments. On World Humanitarian Day, WHO once again calls on all parties involved in conflict to respect and protect health workers, patients, health facilities and medical transport in accordance with international humanitarian law. Protecting healthcare means protecting lives, ensuring access to essential services, and safeguarding the resilience of health systems when they are needed most.