The World Humanitarian Day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2009, in the memory of 19 August 2003 when a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, resulted in the deaths of 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Each year, the World Humanitarian Day focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for safety and security of aid workers.