#ActForHumanity
World Humanitarian Day 2025
2024 was the deadliest year ever for humanitarian workers. 2025 could be even worse.
We repeat this grim line year after year – and fear it no longer shocks.
Act for Humanity
Last year on World Humanitarian Day, we demanded protection for humanitarians in conflict zones.
Resolutions were passed, promises were made. But nothing changed on the ground.
The rules and the tools exist.
Security Council resolution 2730 sets a path. A major political declaration is on the way.
What we need now is the will – and the courage – from all with power or influence to #ActForHumanity.
Video transcript
Last year, we called on you to act.
We got statements, resolutions, promises —
But nothing changed on the ground.
You committed to protect humanitarian workers.
But each year, more are killed.
Their deaths met with silence and impunity.
This is the result of failure to turn words into action.
How much more suffering will you ignore, before you act?
Humanitarians under attack
Attacks harming humanitarians have become common and can be a violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
In 2024, 383 humanitarians were killed, most of them were national staff working to help their own communities.
By August 2025, more than 260 humanitarians have been killed. At least another 160 have been injured or abducted.
The human toll of ignoring IHL
From looting and obstruction to attacks and kidnapping, threats to humanitarian workers' safety and movement compromise a lifeline to millions of people in need.
This results in ordinary people losing access to essentials such as food, water and medical care.
The destruction of hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure devastates communities for generations.
In 2024, global humanitarian operations provided life-saving aid to almost 116 million people.
Despite the challenges, humanitarians persist in striving to help all those in need.
Who is responsible?
Last year marked the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions – part of the foundation of IHL and the global consensus that wars must have limits.
Parties to armed conflict are obligated to uphold IHL.
All States must use their influence to prevent and end IHL violations.
The issue isn’t the absence of rules but the failure to uphold them.
We need political will and courage to ensure respect for IHL.
Resources
UN Secretary General’s Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
2025 Aid Worker Security Report
Rapid support for aid workers at risk
Gaza's Silent Threat
Launching for WHD 2025, UNICEF’s Gaza’s Silent Threat follows Dr. Younis Awadallah and Fairuz Abuwarda on a high-stakes mission to vaccinate 600,000 children against polio amid war.
A stark portrait of conflict’s toll on children’s health and a tribute to the courage of humanitarian workers who risk their lives to save and protect children in crises.
The message is clear: safeguard humanitarians, uphold the law, and children can be protected.
About World Humanitarian Day
World Humanitarian Day (WHD), which takes place every year on 19 August, was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
WHD aims to recognize aid workers and mobilize people from around the world to advocate for the broader humanitarian cause.
World Humanitarian Day is a campaign by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).