On 19 August, 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day (WHD).
Each year, WHD focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises and for the safety and security of aid workers.
For WHD 2023, Caritas renews its commitment to strengthen local leadership in the humanitarian sector and joins organizations across the globe in standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the people we serve, no matter who, no matter where and #NoMatterWhat.
World Humanitarian Day is a campaign by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and supported by Caritas worldwide. When a disaster strikes, local Caritas organisations are among the first emergency responders on the ground providing food, shelter and much more. This is possible because they are already there, rooted in communities.
Watch the video showing Caritas Lebanon’s incredible work carried out with the support of the Caritas family below.