World Humanitarian Day highlights the importance and observance of the principles of humanitarian aid, as well as the appreciation of the work of humanitarian workers in crisis areas. They unconditionally put their lives on the line in an effort to help vulnerable people in need. As the Umbrella platform, which brings together domestic humanitarian organizations, reminds us: 'neighboring Ukraine, which has been in the war for a year and a half, is a living and very close proof of this for Slovakia'.

Exactly 20 years ago, 22 people working for the UN lost their lives in an attack on the United Nations in Baghdad, Iraq. This tragedy deeply affected the work of the United Nations and changed the way humanitarian action is carried out on the ground today. It also led to the creation of World Humanitarian Day (WHD). Saturday (August 19) is therefore dedicated to all humanitarian workers in the world who daily save lives and protect the health of people affected by natural disasters or wars. On this occasion, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) launched the #NoMatterWhat campaign, which was joined by the Slovak umbrella platform together with its member organizations.

Over the past two decades, the work of humanitarian organizations has grown in scope and complexity of humanitarian action. According to UN OCHA data, 250 million people in need currently need it, which is 10 times more than in 2003. At the same time, challenges are growing, linked to growing geopolitical tensions and the blatant disregard for international humanitarian law, not to mention deliberate attacks and disinformation campaigns.

The executive secretary of the Umbrella platform, Daniel Kaba, reminds: "The goal of humanitarian aid is to immediately intervene in the field and save human lives, provide basic needs and also alleviate the suffering of victims who have been affected by disasters - natural (earthquakes, landslides, floods) or man-made (armed conflicts, wars)." At the same time, Kaba adds: "A state affected by a disaster is often unable to handle a humanitarian crisis on its own. That's when humanitarian teams from abroad come into action. Including Umbrella members from Slovakia, as was the case with the recent earthquake on the Turkish-Syrian border, an explosion in a Lebanese port, the civil war in Ethiopia, or the ongoing war in Ukraine."

However, the work of humanitarian workers is getting harder and more dangerous every year. The teams intervene closer and closer to the front lines of the conflict, but not with the vision of heroism or the savior syndrome, but with the aim of saving and protecting human lives and providing vulnerable people with food, drinking water, blankets and shelter in the shortest possible time. No matter what happens, humanitarian organizations are guided by humanitarian principles and stand by the vulnerable communities they are trying to help effectively. #NoMatterWhat

More info about the Umbrella platform: The platform of development organizations - Umbrella covers three dozen mostly non-governmental organizations in Slovakia, which are dedicated to humanitarian aid, development cooperation and global education - at home and abroad. From February 2022, the Umbrella Secretariat coordinates the Humanitarian Assistance Working Group (PS HP) of Ukraine and the so-called humanitarian corridor, which is used for the purpose of distribution by PS HP members at the Vyšné Nemecké and Ubľa border crossings. At the same time, it collects and evaluates (for advocacy and educational purposes) data on distributed aid from them. In the first year of the war, Slovak humanitarian organizations were able to collect up to 16.8 million to help the people of Ukraine. euros and to transport humanitarian aid there worth at least 22 million. euro These organizations helped not only in regions near the border with Slovakia, but also in areas near the front line. They will actively continue helping the population of the neighboring country and will also discuss its results and challenges - on November 8 at the international conference Umbrella Development Forum (ADF). More about Slovakia's aid to Ukraine - read in the thematic Umbrella Factsheet here: https://ambrela.org/spravy/factsheet-o-pomoci-na-ukrajine-2022/