Humanitarian Workers
Press Release Tuesday 18 August
For Immediate Release Suva, Fiji
The profound impact which disasters can have on the lives of Pacific
Islanders will be brought into focus this Wednesday 19 August, which has
been designated the inaugural World Humanitarian Day by the United Nations
General Assembly. The Day is intended to help increase public
understanding of humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and to honour
humanitarian workers who have lost their lives or been injured in the
course of their work.
Dr Isiye Ndombi, Representative for UNICEF's Pacific Office, believes that
World Humanitarian Day is particularly relevant in the Pacific, which is
one of the world's most susceptible regions to natural disaster. "Small,
vulnerable island states are isolated by a vast expanse of ocean and
experience frequent and intense disasters with disproportionately high
economic, social and environmental consequences", Dr Ndombi explained.
"Recent examples of disaster in the Pacific include the 2009 Fiji Floods,
in which 11 people were killed and many thousands of people were forced to
temporarily relocate to evacuation centres, the 2007 Solomon Islands
Tsunami, which killed 52 people and two years later still sees thousands of
people displaced and living in temporary shelter, and of course the recent
ferry disaster in Tonga where 95 people lost their lives."
According to Peter Muller, UNOCHA's Regional Disaster Response Advisor for
the Pacific, the humanitarian community's ability to respond rapidly,
effectively and predictably to crises, natural or man made, has improved
beyond all recognition in the last 20 years. "This is due largely to the
dedication of the many thousands of aid workers, both local and
international, who have devoted their lives to humanitarian work, matching
idealism with action, and principles with practice", he said. "World
Humanitarian Day is in part dedicated to the memory of aid workers who have
lost their lives while bringing assistance to others, the majority of them
from the communities they are trying to help."
Despite the improvements in Humanitarian Response over the last decade, Mr
Muller remains far from complacent. "While much has been achieved, the
challenges faced by many millions of people around the world and
particularly in the Pacific are still formidable", he said.
"The need for principled and effective humanitarian action is greater than
ever. Natural hazards are becoming increasingly severe and frequent and
vulnerable communities face new threats generated by the combined effects
of global mega-trends: climate change, chronic poverty, the food and
financial crises, water and energy scarcity, migration, population growth,
urbanization and pandemics."
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