World Humanitarian Day 2021: History, significance and theme for this year

World Humanitarian Day is celebrated across the globe every year on August 19. This day signifies the importance of human welfare and honours people who sacrificed their lives for the welfare of others. This day was established as part of a resolution on the Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the United Nations in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

World Humanitarian Day is observed every year in memory of the 2003 attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq that killed 22 lives including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

This day was designated by The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2009 to honour and remember Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 aid workers who were assassinated in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Iraq on August 19, 2003.

The significance of this day is to support various groups of people, communities, who save other peoples lives and make sacrifices by putting their lives at risk. These people are the first to react, adapt and create awareness around humanitarian crises and they are the last ones to leave. They are responsible for strengthening humanitarian grounds.

The theme for this year is based on the climate crisis. Climate change has affected several countries across the world and this year the theme is The Human Race. It focuses on the need to prioritize climate crisis and put pressure on the world leaders for the same.

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