Celebrating WHD in the Midst of a Pandemic
World Humanitarian Day or WHD is an international day of celebration dedicated to the humanitarians all over the world and those who had laid down their lives for the sake of helping other people. The day is commemorated yearly on August 19th.
A tragic day in history
On August 19th 2003, Sergio Vieira de Mello, Head of the UN mission in Iraq and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, was killed along with 21 people in a suicide bombing attack in Baghdad, Iraq. Previously, De Mello had made preparations for the forming of the draft of the official World Humanitarian Day designation.
In 2009, years after the tragic incident, the United Nations General Assembly formalised World Humanitarian Day. The day was set to remember de Mello and others like him who risk life and limb to help those who are less fortunate and underprivileged and living in places of war, pestilence, and starvation.
Every year since, the UN forms a different campaign as a tribute to these aid workers.
Read about #RealLifeHeroes as this year’s UN WHD global campaign to honour and thank everyone who has committed their lives to help others during this time of the pandemic.
How should we celebrate WHD in 2020?
This year, we celebrate World Humanitarian Day in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. We honour the essential and health workers around the world who, day after day, are risking their health to continue providing service to quarantined households and nursing the sick isolated in medical facilities. They are the true heroes of our time.
In our own little way, we can support our brothers and sisters in the front lines by donating funds for their basic living items, medical items, and PPEs. We can reach out to donate to a myriad of websites and organisations that advocate the wellbeing of these essential workers.
As well, we can do our part in ridding the world of the virus faster by continuing to practice safe distancing, maintaining personal hygiene, and wearing a face mask while out in public.
Read our previous article on World Humanitarian Day.