17 August 2017
NTS Bulletin August 2017
Every year, the World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held on 19 August to honour humanitarian aid workers who put their lives at risk on the front lines of war and disasters across the world. It also gathers people from all walks of life to advocate for a more humane world. The day was selected by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN Head Office in Baghdad, Iraq.
Awareness of danger in conflict zones
On this year’s WHD, the UN and its partners are advocating for the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and all of who have been affected by conflict. In recent times, there has been more effort to document the atrocities committed against civilians and humanitarian workers, and as a result the issue has gained much more attention. WHD will be an important opportunity to raise awareness of this issue through UN Member States, civil society and global leaders, so that fast and effective action can be taken to overcome these challenges. On the social media front, the online hashtag, #NotATarget has also been promoted as an act of solidarity to stand up for the protection of civilians, humanitarian aid workers and civilian infrastructure in conflict situations, to draw attention to the atrocities committed against these groups of people in war zones and to demand the right of humanitarian workers to provide assistance to people in need, especially in conflict areas. The #NotATarget campaign has drawn the attention of world leaders and is pushing them to investigate and collate data to understand the extent of the situation. It has also helped both victims and witnesses to come forward and share their experiences in war zones.
Every year, the World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held on 19 August to honour humanitarian aid workers who put their lives at risk on the front lines of war and disasters across the world. It also gathers people from all walks of life to advocate for a more humane world. The day was selected by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN Head Office in Baghdad, Iraq.
Awareness of danger in conflict zones
On this year’s WHD, the UN and its partners are advocating for the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and all of who have been affected by conflict. In recent times, there has been more effort to document the atrocities committed against civilians and humanitarian workers, and as a result the issue has gained much more attention. WHD will be an important opportunity to raise awareness of this issue through UN Member States, civil society and global leaders, so that fast and effective action can be taken to overcome these challenges. On the social media front, the online hashtag, #NotATarget has also been promoted as an act of solidarity to stand up for the protection of civilians, humanitarian aid workers and civilian infrastructure in conflict situations, to draw attention to the atrocities committed against these groups of people in war zones and to demand the right of humanitarian workers to provide assistance to people in need, especially in conflict areas. The #NotATarget campaign has drawn the attention of world leaders and is pushing them to investigate and collate data to understand the extent of the situation. It has also helped both victims and witnesses to come forward and share their experiences in war zones.
