Today, the world celebrates humanitarianism as it marks World Humanitarian Day (WHD).
The day is marked every August 19, to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world.
It is a day dedicated to humanitarians worldwide to increase public understanding of humanitarian assistance activities.
World Humanitarian Day was officially celebrated for the first time on August 19, 2009.
According to statistics, over 68 million people around the world have been forced from their homes due to war, violence and persecution.
Statistics from the UN also revealed that 139 aid workers were killed in the line of work in 2017 while 72 were kidnapped.
READ ALSO: Government introduces media fees
The theme for this year is ‘Not A Target,’ with the goal to bring attention to civilians who are affected by armed crisis every day, people who are displaced and find it difficult to find safe shelter, food and water and children who are co-opted to fight wars that they have no business fighting such as the children suicide bombers in the North Eastern part of the Nigeria.
According to reports in 2017 in Nigeria, 83 children were used as human bombs.
Of this number, 55 were girls, most often under 15 years of age.
27 were boys, and one was a baby strapped to a girl. The women get abused and humiliated in the course of this.
This year’s World Humanitarian Day is to shed light on all of these and more.
Today in light of the theme, attention could be drawn to the people living in IDP camps due to Boko Haram activists in Nigeria.
The UN calls everyone to join the #NotATarget movement and demand world leaders to do everything in their power to protect all civilians in conflict.
