The sound of bagpipes echoed in the chapel at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture as guests gathered to commemorate humanitarian workers killed and injured in the line of duty, while honoring those who continue to work tirelessly to provide life-saving support to people most in need.
The event commenced with the UN Secretary General’s message read by Louise Aubin, UNHCR representative and Acting Director of UNIC followed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) message delivered by the Head of ICRC Leonard Blazeby. The representative from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Clare Walsh acknowledged the work of millions of women humanitarians who have and still are changing lives across the globe.
World Humanitarian Day is a time to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. This year the UN invites you to be a Messenger of Humanity and stand up for humanity by amplifying a generation’s call for a better world! 
Aid workers often risk their lives to do the work most of us would shy away from. From Iraq to Syria, Libya to Somalia, thousands of men and women work tirelessly each day in the face of insurmountable danger and some have lost their lives in the course of duty. Paying tribute to their spirit, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and humanitarian actors 
Despite recent strides in strengthening the ability of the United Nations to protect civilians, conflicts around the world were still characterized by a “prevailing disrespect” for the core principles of international humanitarian law, top officials warned the Security Council today. Briefing the Council ahead of a 
This year the UN and its humanitarian partners are launching a ground-breaking campaign called