World Humanitarian Day

"I Was Here" World Humanitarian Day 2012 Pin

United Nations

World Humanitarian Day is celebrated on August 19 each year to honor the dedicated aid workers who help to care for millions of people affected by disasters around the world. It is also a moment to remember the brave individuals who lost their lives helping to save those most in need.

Humanitarianism, at its core, represents a respect for human dignity and a fundamental commitment to holding paramount the health and safety of people in crisis above all other motives and agendas. World Humanitarian Day is not only a time to recognize professional humanitarian workers; this year it is also a call to action for everyone.

This year’s World Humanitarian Day campaign, "I Was Here," is about making your mark by doing something good, somewhere, for someone else.  Humanitarian actions done at home—volunteering in a homeless shelter, holding a bake sale for charity—reflect the same values that drive humanitarian actions globally. We can all be humanitarians by doing something good for others, because every act to help those in need—no matter how small—makes a difference.

Show your support for World Humanitarian Day by joining more than one billion people helping people on August 19.  Visit www.whd-iwashere.org to become a part of this historic moment.