Dubai Humanitarian Commemorates World Humanitarian Day 2025 With Community Gathering And Tribute

In 2025, Dubai Humanitarian marked World Humanitarian Day by hosting a community event. This gathering, held in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator Office in the UAE, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the UAE Aid Agency, aimed to honour humanitarian workers' dedication and sacrifices. The theme was "Act for Humanity," emphasising that civilians and aid workers should never be targeted.

The event took place at Dubai Humanitarian’s headquarters, bringing together representatives from various UN agencies, UAE-based aid organisations, international NGOs, and government partners. It provided an opportunity to reflect on the bravery of those working on crisis frontlines and highlighted the increasing need for global solidarity and principled humanitarian action.

Giuseppe Saba, CEO of Dubai Humanitarian, opened the event by stressing the importance of continuing their humanitarian mission through collaboration across sectors. He stated, "World Humanitarian Day is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and responsibility. As an active participant in the humanitarian ecosystem, Dubai Humanitarian bears witness to the great sacrifices humanitarian workers make."

Bérangère Boëll, UN Resident Coordinator for the UAE, remarked on the significance of remembering those lost while serving others. She said, "On this World Humanitarian Day, we honour those we have lost and the courage of those who continue to serve. But remembrance must be matched by resolve, to protect civilians."

Rashed Al Hamiri from UAE Aid highlighted the UAE's commitment to global humanitarian efforts. He noted that 40% of its foreign assistance over two years was allocated to humanitarian responses. Al Hamiri also mentioned 2025 as the Year of the Community with its slogan "hand in hand," emphasising collaboration as key to addressing challenges in accessing resources and helping those in need.

Sajeda Shawa from OCHA’s UAE Office addressed growing dangers faced by humanitarian workers. She stated that 383 workers were killed in 2024 alone—the highest number recorded. Shawa stressed that OCHA’s Humanitarian Reset focuses on renewal by prioritising people over systems and empowering local communities.

Challenges Facing Humanitarian Work

The event included a minute of silence for those who lost their lives while aiding others. Sajeda Shawa highlighted that 300 million people urgently need assistance this year but operations are only 18% funded. She warned that millions will lack food or medicine due to funding cuts.

World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on August 19th since being designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008. It commemorates the 2003 bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad and honours humanitarian workers’ sacrifices while advocating for civilian protection.

This day serves as a reminder to uphold international humanitarian principles and improve global humanitarian action effectiveness.

With inputs from WAM