The Humanitarian Community in the UAE marks World Humanitarian Day

The Humanitarian Community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came together on 19 August at Dubai Humanitarian to mark World Humanitarian Day.

“We gather today in a spirit of gratitude and remembrance. Gratitude to the women and men, in this room and across the globe, who embody the values of humanity every day,” said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the UAE, Berangere Boell.

According to the Aid Worker Security Database, the year 2024 was the deadliest year ever for humanitarian workers, with at least 383 humanitarian workers killed, 308 wounded, 125 kidnapped, and 45 arrested or detained. Attacks on humanitarian workers were reported across 27 countries. Gaza was the deadliest context, with 181 fatalities, followed by Sudan with 60. Other high-risk areas included South Sudan, Nigeria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The first eight months of 2025 show no sign of a reversal of this disturbing trend, with 265 humanitarian workers killed as of 14 August, according to figures released on World Humanitarian Day.

“These figures are not just numbers; they are lives. In Gaza, a humanitarian convoy was struck while delivering essential supplies, killing aid workers who had dedicated their lives to saving others. That convoy should have been protected. Instead, it became a target. It is one of many tragedies witnessed by the world over the last 12 months — tragedies that should never be normalised,” said Ms Boell.

Funding Decline, Lives at Risk

Unprecedented funding cuts are also impacting humanitarian action, resulting in the closing of essential humanitarian programs and putting millions of lives at risk.

“With funding in decline, the risks are multiplying — and it is our national colleagues, the backbone of every response, who are paying the highest price,” said Ms Boell.

In 2024, most of the aid workers killed were national staff serving their communities and were attacked in the line of duty or in their homes.

Since October 2023, 520 aid workers, mostly staff with the UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, have been killed in Gaza — the deadliest place for humanitarians for the second year running. In comments in support of aid workers everywhere, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that humanitarian teams “are the last lifeline for over 300 million people” impacted by conflict or disaster.

Despite their lifesaving role, funding cuts are having a serious and negative impact on the world’s most vulnerable people, Mr. Guterres warned, while those who provide aid are increasingly under attack as “red lines are crossed with impunity”.

This is despite the fact that such attacks are prohibited under international law, the UN chief continued, noting that although governments have pledged action to protect them, “what is missing is political will – and moral courage…Humanitarians must be respected and protected. They can never be targeted.”

UAE leadership in Humanitarian Diplomacy

Ms Boell underscored the role of humanitarian diplomacy in this context.

“It is through sustained engagement with governments, regional organisations, and local communities that we can open access, secure protection, and defend the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Without diplomacy, aid cannot flow; without diplomacy, principles cannot hold,” she said, acknowledging the “UAE’s unparalleled leadership” in humanitarian diplomacy.

“We are grateful to the UAE for its unwavering leadership in humanitarian assistance, and for hosting here in Dubai the largest humanitarian hub in the world — a place where generosity meets logistics, where solidarity becomes action”, Ms Boell said.

Since 2023, the UAE has provided over $828 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza — more than 40 per cent of all international assistance — and delivered nearly 4,000 tons of relief supplies through operations such as Chivalrous Knight 3. The UAE has also invested in infrastructure, partnerships, and innovation that allow relief to move at scale and at speed.

“This is not only generosity in action; it is humanitarian diplomacy at work, a demonstration of how influence and resources can be mobilised to save lives at scale. Here in Dubai, we are reminded of what is possible when vision meets commitment,” Ms Boell said.

“On this World Humanitarian Day, let us recommit — together with our partners here in the UAE and across the world — to ensure that aid is never blocked, never politicised, and never forgotten.”

World Humanitarian Day (WHD), which takes place every year on 19 August, was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.