World Humanitarian Day marked

Humanitarian workers around the world are being honoured today (August 19th) by health authorities and other organisations.

World Humanitarian Day will be launched at the United Nations, where secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Catherine Bragg will be present.

An exhibition of photographs and posters of humanitarian workers providing assistance to people suffering from health issues and other problems across the globe will be opened at the UN.

Other groups marking the occasion include the World Health Organisation and CARE International.

Jonathan Mitchell, CARE International's emergency response director, commented: "The world needs to take a step back. Just like you would never attack a hospital, you should never attack a humanitarian worker.

"And we must continue their work of providing humanitarian assistance to people in need around the world."

Today's date has been chosen to mark World Humanitarian Day as it is the date of the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad.

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