To mark this year’s World Humanitarian Day, the Acting United Nations Resident Coordinator, Madam Elizabeth Moundo on Wednesday lighted a candle to honour Ghanaians who have lost their lives in Humanitarian service, in Accra.

On December 2008, the General Assembly set aside August 19th to “increase public awareness about humanitarians, the UN associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty”.

The Day has its origin from the bombing of the United Nations Office in Iraq on 19th August 2003, in which 22 people lost their lives including the then Special Representative of Secretary General, Sergio Viera de Mello.

Madam Elizabeth Moundo said that man-made and natural disasters cause immense suffering for millions of people every year and it is often among the world’s poorest, most marginalized and vulnerable individuals.

She said that there are currently more than 27 million refugees in the world, due to man-made or natural disasters.

“One out of every six people in the world is chronically hungry. Humanitarian aid workers strive to ensure that all those who have experienced traumatic event and need life-saving assistance receive it regardless of where they are in the world, their region, social group or nationality”, she added.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy National Coordinator for NADMO, Mr. Ebenezer Dodsu, the National Coordinator of NADMO, Mr. Kofi Portuphy said that since occurance of natural disasters cannot be prevented, Humanitarian aid workers will continue to make it effects less severe on vulnerable communities.

He said that Humanitarian aid workers sometimes risk their lives into difficult terrain such as conflict areas in order to bring smiles to the faces of affected people by disasters.

“It is in this vein that we see the institution of the World Humanitarian Day to give proper recognition to the sacrifices made by humanitarian and aid workers as a right move”, he stressed.

Mr. Kofi Portuphy then called on all disaster management agencies to pay a particular attention to people with special needs such as pregnant women, children, the aged as well as the physically challenged.

He added that “People in these mentioned categories are more vulnerable, and will always need our attention in all humanitarian operations”.