The second World Humanitarian Day takes place this year today, 19 August 2010, to honor and celebrate the work of humanitarian workers. The 19 of August has been chosen by the United Nations to commemorate the work of humanitarian workers as it marks the day when 22 employees of the UN, including the UN Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, were killed in a bomb attack in 2003 in Baghdad.

About World Humanitarian Day (read more here):

This year focus will be on the actual work and achievements of humanitarian workers in the field. This year’s theme is “We are humanitarian workers”. It will be as well the occasion to remember and honor those who have lost their lives while helping others. A total of 102 humanitarian workers died in the exercise of their functions in 2009. Humanitarian workers are forgotten heroes, heroes without whom there wouldn’t be any humanitarian assistance. Not only do they work in the worst places of the world, in extreme temperatures (high frost, extremely hot countries), threatened by diseases but in dangerous places as well where they risk their lives to help the destitute, the victims of wars or natural catastrophes, whatever their race, nationality, religious or political beliefs – with total neutrality. This year the Day will be commemorated everywhere in the world and more specifically in Geneva, capital of humanitarian assistance.

Max Dana, as well as everyone at the Sama Gazette support humanitarian workers as much as we can. They are heroes, they risk their lives everyday to help and they do an amazing work. Today is their day and it is important we don’t forget everything they do for a better world. Sybella Wilkes, Senior Communications Officer with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), who we follow on Twitter @SybellaWilkes, said earlier today: “We live in a dangerous world, being a humanitarian worker is now a dangerous job. In 2009 102 humanitarian workers were killed.”

World Humanitarian Day is about celebrating humanitarian aid workers helping to save lives around the world. We know some of them and we are so impressed by what they do. They are such an inspiration to us. You can read this interesting post on TakePart to learn more about these standout aid workers changing lives across the globe…