World Humanitarian Day

18/08/2010

The HUMANITARIAN COALITION commemorates World Humanitarian Day

Ottawa (19 August, 2010) - Today, on the internationally-recognized World Humanitarian Day, the HUMANITARIAN COALITION (CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, Save the Children Canada) takes the time to applaud the incredibly courageous and altruistic actions of humanitarian aid workers across the globe.

Workers in disaster areas are often just as affected by tragedy as those they are devoted to helping. In the face of tremendous adversity, these individuals push aside their own grief and discomfort and plunge into the aid effort. While nearly everyone with the means to do so is fleeing the disaster zone, humanitarians rush into the chaos.

In 2009, 278 humanitarian workers were victims of serious security incidents while carrying out their work. Often, the sacrifices and hardships faced by these workers are understated or lost in the abundance of suffering that characterizes any humanitarian crisis.

In the midst of unimaginable tragedy in flooded Pakistan, thousands of tireless humanitarians are handing out food, water, tents and hygiene products and providing medical care to the millions of Pakistanis living in a nightmare. While the people of Pakistan rely on these people for survival, we also count on humanitarians to deliver our messages of support and of hope. There can be no better time than this World Humanitarian Day to reflect on the selflessness of these heroes

For more information about Canadian humanitarians working abroad or to learn more about the HUMANTIARIAN COALITION, visit http://www.together.ca or contact one of the member agencies:

Marie-Eve Bertrand, CARE Canada
(514) 458-0057

Karen Palmer, Oxfam Canada
(613) 240-3047

Caroline Boily, Oxfam-Québec
514-513-0506

Denise Koulis, Save the Children Canada
(647) 291-1683

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"I do all I can to make sure I deliver the water to the camps. It is important because there is a population living there. You have to serve them. No matter what time it is, we have to deliver water to them. It's our job. We can't let people suffer. We provide a regular service; we don't let them suffer at all."

-Roland, an Oxfam water tanker driver in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, who is living in an tent on the runway, himself a survivor of the earthquake.

 

 

"To be a humanitarian worker wasn't always my lifelong dream - but then I lived through disaster. As a native of Croatia who experienced the devastation of war, I learned what kind of difference even the simplest of things can make for people who have been beaten-down by tragedy. It was then that I knew I would devote my life to helping those short-handed by fate needing a hand-up out of misery. These last 18 years working in the midst of humanitarian disasters have been incredibly rewarding. It is amazing how even while working in some of the saddest places on earth, I can be uplifted seeing that what I've done has made someone's life a little easier or even brought a smile to their face."

-Mia Vukojevic, Oxfam Canada, Haiti

"I always knew I'd be in job that let me help kids. I started as a teacher and loved it, but always felt that I wanted my playground to be bigger. Working in Haiti fulfills everything I want in my career: an opportunity to work with people who are striving to make their lives better, a dynamic team of colleagues dedicated beyond the call, and a playground that is bigger than I ever imagined. When I take a moment to look at the children around me, I see their hope, their strength and their resiliency - and I know just how important it is that I keep doing what I'm doing."

-Elysia Nisan, Save the Children, Haiti

 

“I always wanted to combine my work with travel and discovery and I was able to find that balance with Humanitarian Work. I’ll call it human work. In reality, it allows me to develop as a manager, negotiator, logistician, team leader etc., but it is still profoundly human because it encourages contact with people from different culture and fosters dialogue and the sharing of experiences. It helps gradually dissolve cultural barriers simply by bringing people together who want to get to know each other. Despite everything, this aspect of cultural encounters is one of the greatest challenges. That is to say, to be able to balance the need for efficiency while retaining your humanity and not forgetting that your local colleagues are almost certainly affected by the situation your organization is attempting to respond to.”

                                           -Caroline Saint-Mleux, CARE Canada, Haiti