World Humanitarian Day: RINNGOS hails aid workers for sustaining fight for Environment justice

The Rivers Network of NGOs RINNGOS has joined the global society to celebrate the World Humanitarian Day by commending the efforts of aid workers who have continued to fight for environment justice.

In a statement made available to NatureNews on Saturday, the president of RINNGOS, Dr Mina Ogbanga said “the network honours all aid workers stepping up to respond each day to the crisis in the region by providing life-saving assistance to millions of women, children and men through addressing critical issues on the front line like bunkering and crises.”

Speaking on this year’s theme “#ItTakesAVillage” which is built upon the metaphor, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, she said that it takes a whole community to help people in need, to provide urgent health care, shelter, food, protection, transportation, security, water and much more.

She added that the vast majority of aid workers and CSOs in Nigeria including those who are exposed to the most risk — are Nigerians.

“The World Humanitarian Day advocates for the safety and security of aid workers, who often work in volatile and unpredictable environments.

“Every region in Nigeria faces peculiar issues many have list their lives pushing for Environmental justice.

“To commemorate the World Humanitarian Day, RINNGOS recognises the resilience of such aid workers and others doing great work, and we believe that collectively, we can make the civic space healthier, safer and greener.”

NatureNews reports that on 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day (WHD).

Each year, WHD focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.

For this year’s WHD, the importance, effectiveness and positive impact of humanitarian work is celebrated.