Statement by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day

This week and on 19 August we remember the tragic incident that took the lives of 22 of our colleagues in Baghdad, Iraq 20 years ago and commemorate all humanitarian workers around the globe for their great mission. As millions of people around the world are pushed into humanitarian crises and are in need of humanitarian assistance, we pay tribute to aid workers on the frontlines risking their lives to save others.

“On behalf of the humanitarian partners in Ethiopia, I reaffirm our commitment to the lives, protection and resilience of the vulnerable Ethiopian men, women and children, standing with them no matter who, no matter where, and no matter what,” said the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov.

“Thanks to the dedication and continuous commitment of humanitarian workers and Government  counterparts in Ethiopia, the most vulnerable people who have been going through a multitude of  shocks know that their plight is not left unattended and their hope to regain dignity will be answered.

Humanitarian aid workers are not only saving lives and alleviating suffering, but also preparing the  foundation for durable solutions and promoting resilience of people, recovery, and rehabilitation  activities,” Dr. Alakbarov added.

In 2022, more than 21 million Ethiopians were assisted with at least one type of assistance, while in the first half of 2023, 169 aid agencies in Ethiopia (9 UN agencies, 77 international NGOs, and 83 national NGOs) have together with the Government of Ethiopia provided food assistance to 17.3 million people, and non-food assistance to 5.2 million people. Funding for the humanitarian response, however, remains significantly underfunded with only 27 per cent funded out of the about US$4 billion required. “I extend my gratitude to the donors for their contribution to financing the humanitarian needs in the country and urge them to continue with their support and to give generously,” he appealed.

“On World Humanitarian Day, and every day, we salute all the efforts of humanitarian workers, from UN  family, from Non-Government Organizations- local and International, from the Red Cross and Red  Crescent Movement, from faith based and community based organizations, from all volunteers and also  from officials who spare no effort, no time, no energy to fulfil their mission- providing assistance and  protection services to all those in need, no matter where they are, no matter who they are,” Dr.  Alakbarov concluded.

The tasks ahead of us remain very high and we need to maintain our drive and dedication to provide  aid to the people we serve. Together we can make a change. I wish you all success and a Happy  World Humanitarian Day.

ENDS

Contact information:

Hayat Abu-Saleh, UNOCHA Ethiopia, abusaleh@un.org ; +251-911-218934