World Humanitarian Day – Balancing global aid and personal tolls

ON August !9 every year, we observe World Humanitarian Day, a date that commemorates the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad. The attack claimed the lives of 22 humanitarian workers, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN high commissioner for human rights. Established by the UN general assembly in 2008, this day honours those who have sacrificed their lives in humanitarian service and reminds us of the ongoing need to protect aid workers worldwide.