The United Nations designated this day in memory of the August 19, 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 27 people. In 2009, the United National General Assembly formalized the day as World Humanitarian Day (WHD).
Each year, WHD focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being, and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers. This year highlights the immediate human cost of the climate crisis by pressuring world leaders to take meaningful climate action for the world's most vulnerable people.
The United Nations