Director-General's remarks on World Humanitarian Day 2026

World Humanitarian Day
Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 4.00 p.m.
Salle des Pas Perdus, Palais des Nations

Dear humanitarian workers,
Dear survivors of attacks on humanitarian personnel,
Dear families and friends of colleagues lost in humanitarian service,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear colleagues and friends,

Today, we gather to commemorate World Humanitarian Day and to honour the women and men who dedicate their lives to helping others in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances.

This day carries a special significance for the United Nations. On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian workers, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day.

As we mark this occasion, we pay tribute to humanitarian workers around the world who bring assistance, protection and hope to people affected by conflict, disaster and displacement. We also remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of humanity. Their courage, compassion and commitment embody the highest ideals of the United Nations.

The damaged flag displayed here, together with the two commemorative plaques, stands as a reminder of the human cost of humanitarian service. They bear witness to the attacks against the United Nations offices in Baghdad in 2003 and in Algiers in December 2007. As the plaques are currently protected during renovation works, they are represented here through images.

The legacy of these colleagues, and of all those who have lost their lives in service of humanity, continues to inspire us. In their honour, the United Nations flags have been lowered today to half-mast at the Palais des Nations and at all other duty stations. This solemn gesture reflects our collective remembrance and respect for the sacrifice of the colleagues we lost.

I now invite everyone present, and those joining us remotely, to observe a moment of silence in their memory.

(Minute of silence)

Thank you.

I am deeply honoured and humbled to welcome to the Palais des Nations today survivors and family members of humanitarian workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Your presence reminds us that behind every statistic is a human story of loss, courage and resilience.

My heartfelt thanks to Ms. Shawbo Taher-Al-Talabani, who will shortly share her testimony with us.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, as we mark the twenty-third anniversary of the attack on the Canal Hotel, we do so with a profound sense of concern. The dangers facing humanitarian workers continue to grow.

Humanitarian personnel continue to be killed, injured, detained and abducted in alarming numbers. Last year alone, at least 326 humanitarian workers were recorded as killed across 21 countries.

This brings the number of recorded humanitarian fatalities over the past three years to more than 1,010, nearly triple the number recorded during the preceding three-year period.

Yet despite these dangers, humanitarian personnel continue to serve on the front lines of crisis around the world. Some of the most dangerous places for them are also the places where they are needed most: Gaza and the West Bank, Sudan, South Sudan, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Their work deserves not only our gratitude. It demands our protection.

International humanitarian law must be respected. Humanitarian personnel must never be targeted. Humanitarian access must be safe, sustained and unimpeded. Those responsible for attacks against aid workers must be held accountable.

Ladies and gentlemen,

World Humanitarian Day is not only a moment of remembrance. It is also a call to action.

As we honour those we have lost and pay tribute to those who continue to serve despite immense challenges, let us renew our commitment to protecting humanitarian workers and defending the principles that guide their mission.

Let us reaffirm our shared responsibility to ensure that humanitarian personnel can carry out their life-saving work safely, effectively and with dignity.

Thank you.