Tribute paid to humanitarian workers

25 August 2009 / 10:32
[Dateline: New York Authors: iSeek]
UN staff around the world observed the first-ever World Humanitarian Day on Wednesday, 19 August, paying tribute to the colleagues lost in the line of duty, as well as those who undertake humanitarian work for the United Nations and its partners in many difficult places around the world.The day’s events were spearheaded by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Established last December by the General Assembly ( A/RES/63/139 ) , the date was chosen to mark the date of the 2003 bombing of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad which killed 22 staff members, including the top United Nations envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and wounded more than 150.
Organizers of World Humanitarian Day hope the annual celebration will increase public understanding of humanitarian assistance world wide as well as honoring humanitarian workers who have lost their lives or been injured in the course of their work.
SG message for the day
New York
The Secretary-General attended two related events on Wednesday morning – a somber wreath-laying ceremony to honor those killed in Baghdad six years ago and the launch of an exhibition of posters and photographs capturing images of humanitarian workers in action.In his remarks, the SG said “Each year on August 19th, we will honour the memory of fallen humanitarians. We will pay tribute to the dedicated men and women who are out there among the vulnerable, providing hope and help. And we will draw the world's attention to the great magnitude of suffering in our world that needs our urgent attention.”
He added, “For my part, I pledge to do all that I can as Secretary-General of the United Nations to help victims while protecting the security and independence of the people who work so hard to save them”( full remarks ). Joining Mr. Ban at the Headquarters ceremony was Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Catherine Bragg who noted that aid workers are working in ever more dangerous conditions.
“The last two years have been successively the most deadly for aid workers on record,” she stated. “Too often, UN and NGO flags and emblems are no longer protections but provocations.”
Geneva
Considered by many to be the humanitarian capital of the world, an inter-agency event took place in Geneva’s Parc des Bastions which included participation from Swiss and Geneva authorities as well as the various agencies working in the humanitarian field.
In his remarks, Director-General Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze highlighted the sad figures from last year stating that “a record of 260 humanitarian aid workers from different agencies and charities were victims of kidnappings and attacks, including 122 who were killed.”
Also speaking was Mrs. Annie Vieira de Mello, widow of Sergio Vieira de Mello, who spoke about the foundation which has been set up in her late husband’s memory.
The event also included wide range of music from different parts of the world and some fine culinary tastes from Senegal and, of course, Brazil.
Other events
A number of events were held in various UN offices around the world including Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dubai, Ethiopia, Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, the occupied Palestinian territories, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Zimbabwe.
Staff from the UN Information Centres in Beirut and Warsaw were particularly instrumental in getting the word out about the day in Arabic, French and Polish by participating in several radio interviews and generating a high-level of traditional and online media coverage.
The following is a short overview of some of these events.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo a two-hour event was organized with some 200 guests from the press, the government, humanitarian partners, donors and NGOs, followed by live broadcasting in collaboration with Radio Okapi , the UN peacekeeping mission’s radio.
Kenya
Activities organized by OCHA in Kenya focused on “the Human Face of Drought” and included an IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) photo essay on drought and the dissemination of posters on this theme.
Nepal
OCHA’s ceremony in Nepal featured screenings of films on humanitarian action in the country, a musical interlude and personal tributes to humanitarian workers by colleagues, in the presence of government officials.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the UN Information Centre in Islamabad held discussion forum with the heads of national and international print and electronic media in advance of the day on 6 August with Humanitarian Coordinator Wolfgang Herbinge and communication specialists from OCHA, the World Food Programme and UNICEF which resulted in a high-level of interest from the media in the country.
Also appreciated was the UNIC’s translation of material into one of the local languages, Urdu.
Awards for best print and broadcast media on the humanitarian crisis in Pakistan were announced. The honorary award will be given out on UN Day in October.
Sudan
OCHA’s office in Sudan launched a joint UN/NGO online photo exhibition depicting humanitarian, early recovery, recovery and development work while local TV stations also broadcasts a public service announcement.
Tanzania
The UN System in Tanzania’s observance was coordinated by UNIC Dar es Salaam and held at the UN compound under the leadership of Acting UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Ronald Sibanda.
During the event, UN flag was hoisted followed by a minute of silence observed by government representatives, members of the media and staff in attendance.

Link,http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/portal/cache/offonce/home/pid/10617;jsessionid=13149E379C11D6D24FBC37B1DEB26FC4, consultado a 26 de Agosto de 2009

Mensagem do Secretário-Geral das Nações Unidas, Ban Ki-moon, por ocasião do Dia Mundial da Ação Humanitária, 19 de Agosto de 2009

Hoje é o primeiro Dia Mundial da Ação Humanitária, proclamado pela Assembléia Geral das Nações Unidas.
Ele representa, acima de tudo, o dia no qual renovamos nosso compromisso em ajudar pessoas vulneráveis e marginalizadas onde quer que elas estejam. Essa é a principal missão da comunidade humanitária.
Esse também é o dia no qual prestamos homenagens às legiões de heróicos trabalhadores humanitários. Esses homens e mulheres têm diferentes origens, mas compartilham a mesma convicção: o sofrimento de uma pessoa é responsabilidade de todos.
A data dessa homenagem anual lembra o dia do ataque à sede das Nações Unidas em Bagdá, que matou 22 pessoas dedicadas ao trabalho, incluindo o grande humanitário Sérgio Vieira de Mello.
“Continuamos inspirados pelo legado que eles deixaram e permanecemos determinados a levá-lo adiante. A Fundação Sérgio Vieira de Mello está fazendo o mesmo ao organizar o prêmio anual que leva o nome do brasileiro, com o objetivo de reconhecer notáveis conquistas na área de resolução pacífica de conflitos.”
Como Sérgio e outros bravos colegas que perderam suas vidas nesse terrível dia, equipes humanitárias se dirigem a regiões de risco para ajudar os outros. Para essas pessoas, não existe conflito esquecido.
Mas para realizar esse nobre trabalho – enfrentando ameaças em meio a desastres e guerras – eles precisam da nossa ajuda. Essas pessoas precisam que trabalhemos sem descanso por sua segurança e independência.
O Dia Mundial da Ação Humanitária foi criado para ampliar o foco sobre as pessoas em risco, para garantir que elas recebam a assistência que merecem. Espero que possamos redobrar nossos esforços para alcançar essa meta. E que cumpramos nosso dever humanitário. Link,http://www.brasilia.unesco.org/noticias/opiniao/artigooutros/mensagem-do-secretario-geral-das-nacoes-unidas-ban-ki-moon-por-ocasiao-do-dia-mundialda-acao-humanitaria-19-de-agosto-de-2009, consultado a 26 de Agosto de 2009.

WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL'S MESSAGE

"I pledge to do all that I can as Secretary-General of United Nations to help victims while protecting the security and independence of those who work so hard to save them". Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on first World Humanitarian Day, 19 August 2009


Annie Vieira De Mello, Vice Chairwoman of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation, addresses a commemorative event on the first World Humanitarian Day

Annie Vieira de Mello, widow of Sergio Vieira de Mello and Vice Chairwoman of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation, addresses a commemorative event on the first World Humanitarian Day. Location: Geneva, Switzerland Date: 19 August 2009. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre
Link,http://www.unmultimedia.org/photo/detail/406/0406892.html, consultado a 26 de Agosto de 2009

Annie Vieira de Mello pede protecção para os trabalhadores humanitários
A jornalista Andreia Brito falou ao telefone com Annie Vieira de Mello
(...) Na véspera do Dia Mundial Humanitário, a jornalista Andreia Brito falou ao telefone com a mulher de Sergio Vieira de Mello, Annie Vieira de Mello, que pede às populações e aos Governos para que actuem para proteger os voluntários.
2009-08-18 17:48:05
Link,http://tv1.rtp.pt/noticias/?headline=46&visual=9&tm=7&t=Mulher-de-Sergio-Vieira-de-Mello-pede-proteccao-para-os-trabalhadores-humanitarios.rtp&article=272093, consultado a 26 de Agosto de 2009.

High Commissioner for Refugees Addresses World Humanitarian António Guterres
António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, addresses a commemorative event on the first World Humanitarian Day. Location: Geneva, Switzerland Date: 19 August 2009. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre.

Link,http://www.unmultimedia.org/photo/detail/406/0406893.html , consultado a 26 de Agosto de 2009

Unsung Heroes of the Battlefields

By Laurent Vieira de Mello, president of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation.
The Washington Post
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Six years ago today, my father, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was killed in a tragic attack in Baghdad that changed the face of the humanitarian world. A truck filled with bombs exploded in the United Nations compound, killing 22 humanitarian workers and wounding many more. Some who were not physically hurt were psychologically wounded. Even years later, many remain vulnerable.

My father headed the U.N. team in Baghdad. A few days before he was killed, he wrote: "The situation is indeed difficult. But we will succeed, because we will do it with the Iraqi people."

His dedication to serving people in need is shared by thousands of humanitarian workers around the world who sacrifice their time, their energy and, too often, their lives to help those in need in places where wars kill and maim and throw innocent victims into refugee camps or exile. Darfur, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are just a few of these areas.

In recognition of their commitment, my family sought to have Aug. 19 -- the date my father and his fellow workers died while helping destitute people -- designated as World Humanitarian Day. After discussions with our foundation, Brazil, France, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland sponsored a U.N. resolution that was adopted by the General Assembly on Dec. 11, 2008. So for the first time, today is officially an occasion to reflect on the situation for humanitarians deployed in the field.

Sadly, already poor conditions for humanitarian workers in many places are deteriorating. Since 2006, attacks on aid workers have increased sharply, the Overseas Development Institute reports. The Darfur region in Sudan, Afghanistan and Somalia are the most dangerous places, accounting for more than 60 percent of violence against aid workers.

Last year was the worst in 12 years, with 260 humanitarian aid workers killed, kidnapped or seriously injured in violent attacks, according to the institute. This toll exceeds the number of victims among U.N. peacekeeping troops.

The Baghdad bomb attack that killed my father dramatically underscored a fact that humanitarian workers had dealt with since the early 1990s: The U.N. flag had ceased to be bulletproof. It no longer protected U.N. humanitarian workers as well as the staffs of nongovernmental organizations.

Before the 1990s, most wars in the developed world were proxy wars. There was a kind of tacit gentleman's agreement whereby superpowers respected as much as possible the rights and the work of humanitarian personnel.

Now, this did not prevent the deaths of many humanitarians. But most casualties were those who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the crossfire. Rarely were aid workers targeted.

The situation, though, has changed dramatically. With the rise of nationalism since the fall of communism and the end of the proxy wars, humanitarian workers no longer benefit from protection, flimsy as it may have been before. Victims nowadays are often targeted.

We're talking about the people who are serving on the front line for those of us who weep when we see children on TV crying beside mothers who have been killed by mortar fire -- and believe that something must be done to help these victims and others like them.

Humanitarian workers are the unsung heroes of our time. They are not recognized as such. Yet consider their efforts, seeking to persuade warlords to let them help innocent civilians who are facing heat, cold, disease and other threats.

They never have the money and staff to fully respond to demands. They get up every morning knowing the enormousness of the task ahead of them, carrying on despite the gnawing feeling that whatever they attempt will always be a drop in the ocean. They can help, their efforts can and do save lives, but these workers are aware that their actions amount to little more than a Band-Aid on some of the world's worst problems.

The reality of their tasks would make any of us despair. Not them.

As a humanitarian worker once told me: "We have no right to despair when we see that people who have lost everything, even their family, still have hope."

It is high time for the international community to face its responsibilities and stop hiding behind humanitarian action. The world must stop using humanitarian efforts as a fig leaf. It can no longer avoid action while putting its conscience at rest by sending humanitarian actors into the killing fields. There are lives at risk.

And on this day, because of their courage, dedication, generosity and humility, humanitarian workers deserve our respect. We should not only praise their work but also remind the world that we must protect them, that we must impress on warlords that if they have any humanity left, they should protect and assist these workers. We must remind the world that humanitarian workers are neutral and help those in need, whatever their color, race, religion or political beliefs. They deserve our efforts and our thanks.

Link,http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/18/AR2009081802908.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns&sid=ST2009081802974, consultado a 26 de Agosto de 2009