By Linus Aleke
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.

“Sometimes, it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom,” this immutable truth from the anti-apartheid activist and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, aptly captured the focus of this feature story.

Over the weekend, stakeholders, scholars, the government, multilateral institutions, civil society organisations, the media, and humanitarian agents, gathered across the globe to draw the world’s attention to the humanitarian crisis in disaster and war-ravaged areas, as they join the rest of humanity to commemorate the 2022 World Humanitarian Day

Since 2008, the United Nations and other critical stakeholders in the humanitarian ecosystem have continued to mark World Humanitarian Day on August 19, every year.

Meanwhile, before going down into the historical account of how the commemoration began, the significance of the day, amongst other salient issues surrounding humanitarian activities in the world, it is pertinent to acquaint selves with the principles that guide humanitarian actions, the world over.

These principles include humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.

Humanity, according to data obtained from the European Union website, is managed by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), which means that human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with particular attention to the most vulnerable; ‘neutrality,’ presupposes that humanitarian aid must not favour any side in an armed conflict or other dispute, ‘impartiality,’ connotes that humanitarian aid must be provided solely based on need, without discrimination, while, ‘independence,’ means the autonomy of humanitarian objectives from political, economic, military or other objectives”.

The source further defines humanitarian aid as, “delivering life-saving assistance to those in need, without any adverse distinction”.

It is heart-warming to note that adherence to humanitarian principles facilitates access and acceptance, and helps humanitarian workers carry out their work.

Also, a little dig into the annals of “World Humanitarian Day,” reveals that the commemoration of the day owes its birth to the bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, others.

According to the historical record, “On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day (WHD).”

Basic documentation for start-ups

The record also unlocked the door that illuminated its significance, to all to grasp, when it noted that, “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.”

Interestingly, it is on the strength of the above, that Christian Aid, Nigeria joined partners, government, multilateral institutions, and major stakeholders in the humanitarian ecosystem to mark the 2022 World Humanitarian Day, in Abuja, Nigeria.

Addressing a press conference as part of the activities lined up to commemorate the day, the Country Director, Christian Aid UK, Nigeria, Country Programme, Mr Temitope Fashola, applauded the thousands of volunteers and professionals around the world who risk their lives daily to deliver urgent health care, shelter, food, protection, water, and much more in crisis-affected and hard-to-reach communities.

He opined that despite the volatility of their work environment which, has cost the lives of some, these brave hearts continue undeterred with the delivery of life-saving support to vulnerable populations.

Such resilience, he said, is best attributed to an in-depth love for humanity, which makes the 2022 WHD commemoration theme most fitting: “The Human Race”.

Fashola said, “Since 2003, Christian Aid Nigeria, has been delivering humanitarian assistance to conflict and crisis-affected people in Nigeria across nine (9), states including, Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Delta, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, and Plateau.

“Responding to needs caused by floods, violent clashes, and insurgency, the organization has a full humanitarian response programme with a team of 60 staff and 38 volunteers working from several locations in the northeast of Nigeria. This includes, Biu, Hawul, Maga, Kwayo Kusar LGAs in Borno state, and Michika and Madagali LGAs in Adamawa state.
“Currently, Christian Aid Nigeria has over 3,000 households benefiting from the ongoing humanitarian response that cuts across food distribution and nutrition, cash distribution, education in emergency, protection, agriculture/crop production, and WASH.

“We also have 2,639 households participating in 20, Income Generating Activities (IGAs), such as food processing, tailoring, making of caps, shoes, bags, and other wears, bricklaying, production of briquettes and energy-efficient stoves.

“These interventions are being implemented to meet the immediate need of the people, boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and improving the overall livelihood and wellbeing of individuals and households”.

Using statistics to paint the horrifying, humongous, and alarming humanitarian and protection crisis that has shown no sign of abating in northeast Nigeria, Fashola said,

“In 2022 alone, an estimated 8.4 million women, men, and children require some humanitarian assistance in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, with over 2.2 million, people displaced due to conflict.
“According to the March 2022 Cadre Harmonise, there are 4.1 million people at risk of hunger this lean season, normally, lasting from June to September.

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Among them is an estimated 587,955 people who are projected to be at emergency levels (phase 4). This crisis is happening to a population that is already highly venerable, as millions of people have been pushed into survival mode. Malnutrition is increasing and threatening the survival of more than a million highly vulnerable children. Approximately 1.74 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition across the northeast in 2022.

Of these, over 300,000 are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition and are at high risk of death if they do not receive urgent treatment. About 80 per cent of people in need of humanitarian assistance across the North-East states are women and children. This is a protection crisis that disproportionally affects women and girls as they face increased risk of violence, such as abduction, rape, and abuse.

“Humanitarians in northeast Nigeria work in extremely challenging circumstances, often risking their lives and safety to reach people in need. The security environment is volatile and unpredictable and includes threats to both humanitarian assets and personnel. According to the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD), since 2015, 35 aid workers have been killed in North-East Nigeria, 22 wounded, and 28, kidnapped. So far, in 2022, six aid workers have been kidnapped in northeast Nigeria”.

In conclusion, he said, “As much as the aid community anticipates a period when the humanitarian crisis will abate in Nigeria, the increasing demand for humanitarian response requires a safe and secured operational environment that will allow humanitarian workers to deliver aid in a principled manner that prioritise their safety and security and that of the people they serve.

“We encourage states to invest their resources in assisting and protecting their citizens in disasters, both because it is the humane thing to do and because it is part of their responsibilities to assist and protect their citizens from disaster. We will also continue our advocacy for the good governance of Nigeria at all levels, along with the private sector to mobilize necessary resources to reach vulnerable populations who cannot be reached by international humanitarians”.

In his message on the occasion, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres reveals that the number of people who need humanitarian assistance has never been higher, because of conflicts, climate change, COVID-19, poverty, hunger, and unprecedented levels of displacement.

Saluting the dedication and courage, as well as paying glowing tribute to those who lost their lives in pursuit of this humanitarian effort, the Portuguese-born UN scribe said that the noble action of these humanitarian agents represents the best of humanity.

Guterres said, “On this year’s World Humanitarian Day, we celebrate humanitarians everywhere. There is a saying: ‘It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to support people living through a humanitarian crisis.

“This village includes affected people who are always first to respond when disasters strike — neighbours helping neighbours. It includes a global community pulling together to support them as they recover and rebuild. And it includes hundreds of thousands of individual humanitarians — volunteers and professionals alike.
“Delivering health care and education; food and water, shelter and protection, help and hope. Far, from the spotlight and out of the headlines, humanitarians work around the clock to make our world a better place. Against incredible odds, often at great personal risk, they ease suffering in some of the most dangerous circumstances imaginable”.

In her statement tilted, “In solidarity, we honour the global humanitarian community,” the United Nations Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women,

Ambassador Sima Sami Bahous said UN Women stands in solidarity with the global humanitarian community, recognizing the strong collective action needed for effective response and positive impact.

The Jordan diplomat said that humanitarian workers save and protect lives and ensure access to essential resources including food, shelter, and health services in the toughest locations for the 305.9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance worldwide.

She posited, “It takes a “humanitarian village” for this- including the community-based volunteers at the frontlines of response, civil society, Red Cross and UN agencies, as well as donors and local governments. In many situations, women-led and women’s rights organisations play an especially vital role in protecting and respecting women’s rights, where they alone can gain access to women and girls and respond in a culturally appropriate way.

“The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, for which UN Women serves as the Global Secretariat, enables women from women’s rights organizations to participate in decision-making in humanitarian and crisis response. The Fund has supported over 600 local women’s organizations working on the front lines of crisis settings worldwide since its establishment in 2016.

“It is crucial that women are equal participants in the planning and decision-making of all efforts to meet humanitarian needs, with their leadership and contributions recognized and valued. Women and girls play a key role in the survival and resilience of crisis-affected communities. When a crisis strikes, women are often the first responders. They are also disproportionately affected by conflict or disasters. These multiples roles must be reflected in all response planning”.

The Humanitarian Coordinator of artificial intelligence, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, paid special tribute to aid workers in Myanmar who are risking their lives to deliver vital assistance to communities in need every day, while also remembering those who have died or been injured in the course of their work.

Balakrishnan in a statement said that never has this work been more important with conflict raging, 1.2 million people now displaced, and poverty and inflation surging.

He noted that a massive national effort is underway to reach more than 6 million crisis-affected people with assistance before the end of the year, adding that they are halfway to this annual goal despite severe access constraints.

The humanitarian community he said has stayed and delivered, working with local partners to expand their operations on an unprecedented scale.

The Humanitarian Coordinator, also posited that with generous funding from donors, local, national and international humanitarian organizations reached more than 3 million people with assistance in the first half of 2022, but there is still a long way to go.

He further averred that this year’s World Humanitarian Day theme is ‘It takes a village,’ emphasizing the global collective effort required by the entire humanitarian community from local volunteers through to UN agencies to protect and assist millions of people every day.

Appreciating the sacrifices of humanitarian aid workers in war-torn countries and disaster-hit areas across the world, cleric Pastor, Joshua Ayuba said that while the world celebrates and remembers those who laid their lives for others, their reward is guaranteed in heaven.

He supported his verdict with the story in Mathew 25: 31- 40. The chapter and verses read: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

He further said what the humanitarian workers are doing across the globe symbolises what the sacred book taught.

An Activist, Mr Peterson Okpanachi, said that while the efforts of the aid workers and donor agencies, including the multilateral institutions must be applauded, national and municipal authorities must also beam their searchlights on the activities of some nebulous and unscrupulous elements amongst the humanitarian workers, to separate the bad eggs from the genuine one.

In conclusion, I invite you to meditate on the words of Audrey Hepburn, actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, who theorized that: “Since the world has existed, there has been injustice. But it is one world, the more so as it becomes smaller, more accessible. There is just no question that there is more obligation that those who have should give to those who have nothing.”