Latest news with #SergioVieiradeMello
The National
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Sheikh Abdullah sets out UAE's vision as ‘beacon of compassion' on World Humanitarian Day
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday stressed the UAE's commitment to building a more just and peaceful global society to mark World Humanitarian Day. 'As we commemorate this occasion, we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the UAE's role as a beacon of compassion, a bridge of hope, and an active partner in promoting international co-operation to build a more just, peaceful and humane world,' he said. The UN-led World Humanitarian Day is observed each year on August 19, the date of a 2003 suicide bombing in Baghdad that killed 22, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, then UN high commissioner for human rights and head of the UN mission in Iraq. The date is marked to recognise the work of humanitarian agencies and workers and highlight the importance of offering a helping hand to people affected by crises. 'Since its founding, the UAE has firmly believed that humanitarian action is not a temporary or a reactive response, but a noble mission that we translate into developmental projects that uphold dignity, foster hope, and ensure a stable, sustainable and dignified life for future generations,' Sheikh Abdullah added. A national effort for international good While aid from the Emirates has been distributed to several corners of the world, its efforts in Gaza are perhaps the most notable. The UAE has provided more than $1.5 billion in financial support to the enclave since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel in October 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this month. The comprehensive assistance has included more than 80,000 tonnes of aid to help alleviate the suffering of Gazans facing chronic food shortages and limited access to health care. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Co-operation, added: 'In the face of today's global challenges, the UAE reaffirms the importance of upholding international humanitarian law, protecting civilians and relief workers, and safeguarding their dignity.'
Shafaq News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq on World Humanitarian Day: From Canal Hotel attack to climate-driven displacement
Shafaq News World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is marked each year on August 19 in honor of aid workers and people affected by crises. The date was chosen after the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters at Baghdad's Canal Hotel, which killed 22 staff members, including Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello. More than two decades later, Iraq stands at a transitional stage—no longer an international emergency, but still facing protracted displacement, explosive hazards, and climate-related challenges that require sustained assistance. From Conflict Response to Transition Iraq's humanitarian profile has changed sharply since the defeat of ISIS. Emergency needs have decreased, and the government is gradually resuming full responsibility. The UN Security Council this year extended the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) for a final term until December 31, 2025, marking a shift from international political oversight toward nationally led stabilization and services. 'The United Nations will continue supporting Iraq even after the mandate of UNAMI concludes at the end of 2025,' UN representative Mohamed al-Hassan said on Tuesday. While UNAMI's political mission winds down, UN agencies will continue their development and humanitarian programs. The Canal Hotel attack, which gave rise to WHD, also reshaped global security standards for aid operations, making Iraq central to how the UN manages risks in complex environments. Smaller Emergencies, Persistent Risks According to UNHCR, Iraq still hosts about 1.03 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and more than 340,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Around 109,000 IDPs remain in 21 camps in the Region, while others live outside camps, often struggling with poor services and limited access to legal documents. Displacement today is not only a legacy of conflict. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that by March 2025, climate pressures such as drought and water salinization had displaced nearly 172,000 people across central and southern provinces. Most relocated within their home provinces, often into urban centers where services are already strained. Ahmed Abbas, a herder from al-Chibayish in the southern marshes, told Shafaq News his family had little choice but to move. 'We left al-Chibayish after the marshes dried up and the water turned saline,' he said. 'We came to Al-Nasiriyah in search of fresh water, but conditions here are just as bad. The water is still salty, and our animals are suffering.' Mine contamination also continues to hinder recovery. In the first half of 2025, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) cleared more than 7,400 explosive remnants of war and nearly 400 improvised explosive devices in Nineveh Province alone, enabling safer returns and reconstruction. Fadel al-Gharawi, head of Iraq's Strategic Center for Human Rights, told Shafaq News that more than 6,600 square kilometers of Iraqi land have been identified as mine-contaminated since 2003. 'While over 4,540 square kilometers have been cleared as of 2024, more than 2,000 square kilometers still require demining,' he said, noting that 'Basra is the most affected province, with approximately 1,200 square kilometers of contaminated land, followed by Muthanna and Diyala.' Aid Worker Security and Shrinking Funds Two decades after the Canal Hotel bombing, Iraq remains a complex operating environment for aid organizations. While attacks on international staff have fallen sharply since the height of the conflict, aid groups report occasional restrictions and security incidents that keep Iraq classified as a medium-risk posting compared to other active warzones. At the same time, humanitarian budgets are under strain. According to the UN's Financial Tracking Service, Iraq's 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan remains less than 40 percent funded, placing programs for displaced families in competition with larger crises worldwide. The UN estimates that more than 300 million people globally need assistance this year, with available funding far below requirements. National Lead, Local Partnerships Baghdad views UNAMI's closure as recognition of stability but stresses the importance of ongoing cooperation with UN agencies. Humanitarian groups emphasize that targeted aid remains essential for vulnerable populations, including Yazidis and other minorities, families with alleged ISIS ties who face legal obstacles, and households newly displaced by climate change. Local civil society organizations are also expanding their role. Iraqi NGOs now manage water trucking, school rehabilitation, and documentation support in many return areas, bridging gaps as international agencies scale back. Aid officials stress that building the capacity of these local groups is essential for sustaining services once international footprints diminish further. Twenty-two years after the Canal Hotel attack, Iraq embodies the dual message of World Humanitarian Day: honoring aid workers lost in 2003 while underscoring that humanitarian support must evolve with changing risks and needs.
Roya News
12 hours ago
- Roya News
383 humanitarian workers killed in 2024, nearly half in Gaza, UN says
The United Nations announced Tuesday that 383 humanitarian workers were killed in 2024, nearly half of them in the Gaza Strip, calling the record number a 'shameful indictment' that should lead to an end to impunity. On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, the UN noted that the 2024 toll represents a 31% increase from the previous year. The rise is largely attributed to ongoing conflicts in Gaza, where 181 aid workers were killed, and in Sudan, where 60 lost their lives. According to a statement from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), violence against aid workers increased in 21 countries in 2024 compared to 2023, with governments being the main perpetrators in many cases. 'The shocking new record of 383 humanitarian workers killed in 2024 should serve as a wake-up call to protect all civilians in conflicts and crises, and to end impunity,' the statement said. In addition to the fatalities, OCHA reported that 308 aid workers were injured, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained during the year. Humanitarian Coordinator Tom Fletcher said, 'An attack on one humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and the people we serve.' He added that attacks of this scale, without accountability, are 'a shameful condemnation of international negligence and indifference.' The UN highlighted that most of the victims were local staff, attacked while performing their duties or at their homes. Early figures for 2025 show no sign of this worrying trend slowing, with 265 humanitarian workers killed worldwide by August 14. The UN reminded that attacks on aid workers are violations of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that violence against humanitarian personnel is not inevitable and must end. The World Health Organization also reported more than 800 attacks on health services across 16 regions so far this year, resulting in over 1,110 deaths among healthcare workers and patients and hundreds injured. WHO warned that such attacks have long-term impacts, depriving entire communities of life-saving care and weakening fragile health systems. World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on August 19, in memory of the 22 aid workers killed, including UN Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, in the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad.
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
World Humanitarian Day 2025: Date, theme, history, significance and more details
World Humanitarian Day Date and Theme: This year, an estimated 305.1 million people in 72 countries need humanitarian assistance and $47.4 billion in funding, according to the OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2025. World Humanitarian Day is annually observed on 19 August and recognises and pays tribute to aid workers who risk and sometimes lose their lives as an act of humanitarian service in crises. The General Assembly designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day to commemorate the 2003 attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. This claimed the lives of 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. In 2025, the day is observed on Tuesday, 19 August, under the theme of 'ActForHumanity', highlighting the urgency in demanding protection, accountability, and action. It also lays emphasis on protecting humanitarian workers and the civilians they serve, upholding international humanitarian law, and funding the lifelines we claim to support. World Humanitarian Day is a campaign launched by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Each year, WHD focuses on a specific theme, bringing together partners from throughout the humanitarian system to campaign for the survival, well-being, and dignity of those affected by crises, as well as the safety and security of aid workers. Civilians bear the heaviest cost of every crisis. They deserve safety, dignity, and a future. On #WorldHumanitarianDay, we honour the courage of those who rebuild hope. No one should die helping others live.#ActForHumanity — UN Development (@UNDP) August 19, 2025
UPI
15 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
On This Day, Aug. 19: U.N. rep. to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello killed
1 of 3 | United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan (R) chats on July 29, 2002, with Sergio Vieira de Mello from Brazil, the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. On August 19, 2003, de Mello was killed in a car-bomb attack on U.N. headquarters in Iraq. File Photo by E. Debebe/UPI | License Photo Aug. 19 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeated the British ship Guerriere in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia and earned its nickname of "Old Ironsides." Witnesses said British shots seemed to bounce off the Constitution. In 1953, the Iranian military overthrew the government led by Premier Mohammed Mossadegh and reinstated the shah. In 1960, U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers was convicted in a Moscow court and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released 18 months later in exchange for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. In 1977, Julius "Groucho" Marx, leader of the Marx Brothers comedy troupe, died at the age of 87. In 1987, gun enthusiast Michael Ryan went on a shooting rampage in Hungerford, England, killing 16 people. In 1991, a coup orchestrated by hard-line Communists and led by Vice President Gennady Yanayev removed Mikhail Gorbachev as president of the Soviet Union. The coup would endure for three days before being put down. The action led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union which would formally occur on December 26, 1991. In 1992, delegates to the Republican National Convention nominated President George H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle for re-election. They were defeated in November by Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore. UPI File Photo In 1995, three U.S. negotiators, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robert Frasure, were killed when their vehicle plunged from a mountain road near Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina In 1996, the Green Party nominated Ralph Nader as its presidential candidate. In 2003, Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nations' representative to Iraq, was killed in a car-bomb attack on U.N. headquarters in Iraq. In 2008, the resignation of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was followed by insurgent bombing attacks that killed roughly 100 people. File PhotoRoger L. Wollenberg/UPI In 2009, two massive bomb attacks killed at least 95 people and injured more than 600 others in Baghdad. It was said to be the worst attack in the region since the U.S. military gave control of the country's security back to the Iraqi government. In 2013, an express train killed at least 37 people and injured many others crossing tracks at a remote transit station in the eastern India state of Bihar. After the accident, an angry mob severely beat the operator of the train, authorities said. In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the so-called "female Viagra," called Addyi to treat sexual disorder in premenopausal women. In 2020, Apple became the first U.S. company -- and second in the world -- to reach a market cap of $2 trillion, doubling its valuation over the previous two years. In 2024, six people died, including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, died after the super yacht they were on sank while sailing in severe weather off the coast of Sicily. File Photo by Igor Petyx/EPA-EFE
