Wherever there is human suffering, humanitarian aid workers are striving to alleviate hardship and pain. Humanitarian operations coordinated by the United Nations (UN) provided life-saving aid to more than 140 million people last year. Aid workers, mostly national staff serving their own communities, persevered despite brutal violence. They continued their efforts to overcome all obstacles to supporting people in need — in the face of severe funding shortages.

On World Humanitarian Day, we once again salute their courage, their determination, and their service to humanity. And we recognize that honoring aid workers is not enough.

2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian personnel. In Gaza, in Sudan, and in many other places, humanitarian workers are being attacked, killed, injured and abducted, alongside the civilians they support.

Disinformation campaigns spread lies that cost lives. International humanitarian law — the law that protects civilians during wartime — is being ignored and trampled. A climate of impunity means perpetrators do not fear justice. This is a failure of humanity, responsibility and leadership.

On World Humanitarian Day, we demand an end to attacks on humanitarians and on all civilians. We demand that governments put pressure on all parties to conflict to protect civilians.

We demand an end to arms transfers to armies and groups that violate international law. We demand an end to impunity, so that perpetrators face justice.

Celebrating humanitarians is not enough.

We must all do more to protect and safeguard our common humanity.

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The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the well-being of the United Nations personnel, members of civil society, national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and private sector entities arbitrarily detained by the Houthis for more than two months and demands their immediate and unconditional release.

The Secretary-General also strongly condemns the recent forced entry by the Houthis into the premises of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a. We note that the Houthis handed the office back to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen today.

The Secretary-General reiterates that those detained must be treated with full respect for their human rights, and that they must be able to contact their families and legal representatives.

The humanitarian and development situation in Yemen is dire, with over 18 million people suffering the consequences of food insecurity, epidemics, displacement, damaged infrastructure and critical economic conditions. The United Nations is working tirelessly to address the impact of the situation on the people of Yemen, but the safety of our personnel must be assured. The UN and its partners should never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their mandates

Secretary-General’s message on World Humanitarian Day on 19 August 2024 and statement attributable to the spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the detention of United Nations personnel in Yemen.