UN Jordan marks World Humanitarian Day

AMMAN — The UN in Jordan on Thursday marked World Humanitarian Day by hosting a ceremony for humanitarian workers and members of the international and local community.

World Humanitarian Day (WHD) was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 brutal bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, according to a UN Jordan statement.

Every year on August 19, the world commemorates and recognises humanitarian aid workers who risk their lives on the front lines in humanitarian service around the world. 

This year’s theme draws attention to climate change and its immediate human cost on the communities affected by conflict and other violence, and the humanitarians there to help.

During his welcoming remarks, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan, Anders Pedersen, reiterated the UN’s commitment to support Jordan not only in the provision of effective and efficient humanitarian operations, but also in strengthening responses to the climate crisis.

“The climate emergency is wreaking havoc across the world at a scale that the humanitarian community is being hard pressed to respond to — and so we must take this moment to reflect and understand what the future will look like for humanitarians and their brave efforts. And what our contribution, as institutions and as world citizens, can be,” Pedersen said. 

The UNHCR representative, Dominik Bartsch, at the event expressed that with escalating humanitarian crises, as seen last week in Afghanistan, Haiti and Lebanon, the role of humanitarian workers to ensure those in crisis do not feel abandoned is more relevant than ever. 

Tanya Chapuisat, the representative for UNICEF in Jordan said: “This year’s World Humanitarian Day is a stark reminder to the immediate consequences of the climate emergency for the world’s most vulnerable people, especially children. To reimagine a better world for every child, we need to work collectively to prioritise and strengthen climate actions in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Jordan has ratified in 1991.” 

During the event, Neda Shrarah, the Jordanian voice, performed a song in line with the theme of the WHD this year. The song is titled “Racing for the good” and calls on everyone to stand together to protect and safeguard the environment in Jordan. 

Each year, WHD brings partners together 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. 

“This year, we commemorate humanitarians, highlight the immediate human cost of the climate crisis, and we put pressure on world leaders to take meaningful climate action for the world’s most vulnerable people,” the UN statement said.