The European Commissioner for International
Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, made
the following statement:
"Today is World Humanitarian Day. Nine
years ago on this day the Special Representative of the United Nations
Secretary-General to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and twenty one of his
colleagues were killed in the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad. It is
a day to pay solemn tribute to all humanitarian personnel who have worked in
promotion of the humanitarian cause and lost their lives following that call.
The Canal Hotel bombing irreversibly changed
the security situation in which humanitarian aid workers operate. Humanitarian
work is one of the world's most dangerous professions. Kidnappings, shootings
and death threats are all too often part of the job description in places
blighted by conflict such as Sudan, Syria and Somalia. Aid workers are
increasingly exposed to risk while maintaining a lifeline to the victims of
conflicts and disasters around the world. It is unacceptable that they are
subject to harassment, abduction or even murder while serving humanity.
Attacks on humanitarian posts have tripled in
the last decade. Since 2011, 109 humanitarian workers have been killed, 143
others were wounded and 132 have been kidnapped, according to the United
Nations. The overwhelming majority of these victims were not international aid
workers but those serving in their own country working closest to the local
population. Crimes against unarmed civilians are never justified. When these
crimes are committed against people who dedicate their lives to saving others
the injustice is even more apparent...
And the safety and security of aid workers is
directly linked to safe access to vulnerable populations and the sustainable
delivery of assistance. Thousands of vulnerable people can be left without
essential support if programs are suspended or closed due to insecurity.
They also draw the world closer together by
reminding us that we are one family, sharing the same dreams for a peaceful
planet, where all people can live in safety, and with dignity.
So this is also a day to examine our own
lives and consider what more we can do to help - to reach out to people
enduring conflict, disaster and hardship.
Let those we honour today inspire us to start our own journey to make
the world a better place and bring our human family more closely together.
