Parties in conflict urged to protect humanitarian workers

This year’s celebration of World Humanitarian Day, which fell on Monday, paid special tribute to women engaged in humanitarian activities, both dead and alive.

This is for the difference they made or are making for millions of women, men and children who are in urgent need of humanitarian services.

Humanitarian aid workers provide life-saving assistance to people suffering all over the world.

Those workers who live in conflict zones or in areas destroyed by natural disasters are especially vulnerable.

Annual celebration

World Humanitarian Day is celebrated annually on August 19 to honour aid workers around the world who risk their lives to help and improve the lives of others.

Established by the UN in 2009, this day commemorates  the anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Iraq, during which 22 people lost their lives, including the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The day is a time to remember both the victims of humanitarian crises all around the world and those who fearlessly venture into dangerous regions to bring them much-needed aid.

 Celebrated on the theme “Women humanitarians”, the event in Ghana brought together humanitarian workers, including members from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, people in humanitarian situations, as well as members of the general public, to share their experiences.

Protection

In a statement read on his behalf, the UN Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, called on world leaders to ensure that humanitarians across the world were given special attention to ensure their survival and that of the work they did.

“World leaders, and all parties to conflict, must ensure that humanitarians are protected from harm as required under international law.

Serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law continue around the world. They must be investigated and prosecuted.

“On World Humanitarian Day and every day, we stand up for humanitarian workers around the world,” he said.

 In his address, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Ghana, Mr Niyi Ojuolape, urged Ghana to take deliberate and pragmatic steps to implement the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

ICPD Report

Mr Ojuolape observed that 25 years after the introduction of the ICPD report, Ghana, unlike many other countries, was yet to give life to the report for the citizens to realise its full benefits.

“In Ghana, we have so many fine policies with the potential to deal with a majority of the problems we face, but unfortunately we rarely implement them.

"The ICPD since 1994 has not received any proper implementation. Most of the countries have gone ahead of Ghana and so we are encouraged to recommit ourselves to it to address our challenges,” he stated.

The ICPD Programme of Action adopted in 1994 is a far-sighted blueprint for advancing human welfare and places human rights of individuals at the centre of the global development agenda.
 
It includes strengthening relevant legal and policy instruments, providing services to underserved groups, empowering women and promoting zero tolerance for gender-based violence and dealing with climate change.
 
ICPD at 25

He further indicated that the international community would gather in Nairobi in November this year to mark the 25th year of the ICPD  to garner political and financial commitments that would ensure that life-saving services were available to women and girls affected by crises.

The National Director of DOVVSU, Superintendent Evelyn Borbor, said it was unfortunate that some people were ignorant of the crucial and relevant roles of humanitarian workers across the world; and, therefore, did not give them the needed recognition and treatment, stressing that societies needed to be educated about the importance of humanitarian activities.