Safeguard humanitarians. Uphold international law. Protect communities in crisis.
This World Humanitarian Day, we join the call for our leaders to Act For Humanity by protecting the humanitarian workers who risk their lives to serve people in need.
Every day, humanitarian workers make a real difference in the lives of Palestine refugees. They teach children, care for patients, and deliver life-saving assistance to families facing unimaginable circumstances.
Yet attacks harming humanitarians have become common. Since the conflict in Gaza began, we have lost 393 UNRWA colleagues.
They were teachers educating children, medical staff healing the sick and injured, and aid workers supporting families seeking refuge. Now, they represent the highest number of colleagues killed in any conflict or disaster in the history of the United Nations.
Today, we honour and remember them, alongside all humanitarians around the world who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Across UNRWA's five fields of operation - the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan - our colleagues continue to deliver essential services to Palestine Refugees. Their work is a lifeline for those in need, and it must be enabled.
Women make up a significant share of UNRWA's workforce. They are at the heart of every humanitarian response, while often carrying the additional responsibility of caring for their own families and communities. It is vital that we protect them from violence which targets women and girls, as well as supporting their agency and leadership during and after crises.
Humanitarian workers, infrastructure, and operations are not targets. When the safety and movement of humanitarian personnel is threatened, people lose access to the services they depend on to survive. When schools and hospitals are destroyed, it can take generations for communities to recover.
Protecting humanitarian workers means providing hope and dignity to millions of people in desperate need. Today, we call upon those in power to Act For Humanity, without delay.
