“Today, I want to recognise the many human rights defenders who risk their lives around the world, and the courage and dedication of all my UN Human Rights staff,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk in his video message for World Humanitarian Day. “The sacrifice of our colleagues strengthens our resolve to continue their essential work.”
Twenty-two years ago, a devastating attack struck the United Nations headquarters at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq. The bombing claimed the lives of 22 UN staff members and left more than a hundred others injured. It was a day that profoundly shook the humanitarian community and continues to resonate decades later.
In Geneva, Switzerland, colleagues, families, and friends gathered at the UN Human Rights headquarters to pay tribute — not only to those killed in Baghdad but to all humanitarian workers who have lost their lives in service across the globe.
Each year, 19 August is observed as World Humanitarian Day, a moment to recognize those who dedicate themselves to alleviating human suffering, and to remember the victims of humanitarian crises worldwide.
This year’s ceremony included a reading of the names of the 22 UN staff members who perished in the 2003 Baghdad attack, along with colleagues killed in Afghanistan, Haiti, and Rwanda, followed by a minute of silence. Flowers were later placed at the memorial to Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq at the time, who also died in the bombing.
Nada Al-Nashif, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and a survivor of the Canal Hotel bombing, reflected on her experience when she was UNDP Country Director in Iraq during the commemoration in Geneva.
“We were caught up in a feverish excitement at the thought of what could be achieved, the endless possibilities of support, advice, assistance,” she said. “Even as we took daily risks and coped with the unrelenting pressure of delivering, we were sustained by a certain innocence — the belief that the big blue UN flag was our protection, its folds sufficiently strong to make us untouchable.”…
“Over two decades later, it is a humbling story of recovery that I am proud to tell; a journey of individual and collective resilience, a re-dedication to our cause, the cause of global justice and dignity, guided by an extraordinary commitment to service and the deep awareness that as humans, we are one.”
The event also highlighted the grave risks humanitarian workers face today, including targeted attacks that have led to deaths, injuries, abductions, and detentions. With 2024 marking the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel, concerns are growing that 2025 could prove even worse.
From Afghanistan to Sudan, from Gaza to Venezuela, humanitarian and human rights workers continue their missions under severe risks and limited access. With nearly 60 armed conflicts ongoing around the globe, the scale and complexity of crises are growing, and so are their human rights implications.
At the ceremony through prerecorded videos, staff from Haiti and Sudan remarked on the importance of humanitarian work.
Abdelgadir Mohammed, a Human Rights Analyst with UN Human Rights in Sudan, highlighted that the escalation of conflict in March and April 2025 has triggered a sharp rise in human rights violations, including ethnically targeted attacks and widespread sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in Darfur.
“I believe that human rights save lives,” he said. “I believe that human rights monitoring and reporting plays a critical role in protecting affected populations.”
Marie Sancia Dossier, a Protection Officer for UN Human Rights in Haiti, noted that as of 2025, nearly 85 percent of the capital’s metropolitan area is under the control of armed gangs, whose influence continues to expand across the country.
“Our motivation is an act of rebuilding and strengthening social cohesion, the rule of law and respect for human rights,” she said. “We are not only implementers. Together with institutions and civil society, we are co-builders of resilience, justice and social transformation. Our aim is to see a country where rights are respected, where institutions serve citizens, and where every person, regardless of their situation, can live in safety and dignity.”
https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/08/honouring-lives-lost-service-humanity
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 