Humanitarian aid workers who have helped the world’s most vulnerable people who felt the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic during crises were honored by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on World Humanitarian Day.
These humanitarians ensured those vulnerable people get access to healthcare and addressed the effects of hunger, gender-based violence, mental health concerns and other challenges that he said disproportionately affect displaced and marginalized communities, according to an Aug. 19 State Department news release.
“On World Humanitarian Day, we honor the humanitarian aid workers who have sacrificed so much to protect and assist the world’s most vulnerable populations,” Blinken said in the release.
He said the U.S. encourages other nations to work to meet global humanitarian needs, matching its dedication to resolving humanitarian crises. According to the release, Blinken called for safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers to vulnerable populations so they may deliver aid, including across conflict lines, so they may deliver aid and services without interference.
“Humanitarian workers are lifelines who provide hope, often in the most dangerous of circumstances, and the world needs them now more than ever,” Blinken said in the release.
The U.S. provided nearly $13 billion in humanitarian aid such as food, shelter, healthcare, safe drinking water and sanitation, the release reported. As the world’s largest humanitarian donor, the country provides assistance to tens of millions of people worldwide.
"The United States is the world’s single largest humanitarian donor," Blinken said in the release. "Last year alone, thanks to the generosity of the American people, we provided nearly $13 billion for protection services, food, shelter, healthcare, education, safe drinking water and sanitation for people in need. This assistance helped tens of millions of crisis-affected people worldwide."
