Last year, the UN General Assembly decided that World Humanitarian Day should be marked on 19 August every year to increase public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and to honour all humanitarian personnel, in particular those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty.  The choice of 19 August is because on that day in 2003 the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad (Iraq) led to the death of 22 people, mainly UN staff.

Globally, this inaugural year, World Humanitarian Day will primarily focus on commemorating those whose lives have been lost while engaged in humanitarian operations, but it will also place emphasis on current humanitarian needs and challenges.

At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, an exhibition of posters and photographs capturing the images of humanitarian workers in action will be the background for the launch of the Day. A special commemoration event will also be held at the Parc des Bastions in Geneva.

In Nairobi, OCHA Kenya and OCHA Somalia are organizing a ceremony in the UNON Gigiri Lobby, at 10:00 a.m on Wednesday, 19 August.

For more information:http://ochaonline.un.org/News/WorldHumanitarianDay/tabid/5677/language/en-US/Default.aspx

The secretary-general message on World Humanitarian Day 19th august 2009

The Secretary-General video message

Message from the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia (English) 19th/08/2009