Today: World Humanitarian Day

Currently some 130 million people are in humanitarian need: distressed civilian populations, families, and refugees stricken by natural or man-made disaster or armed conflict.

Children are missing out on school, and the injured and sick lack medical treatment. Countless aid workers risk their lives every day for those in need. World Humanitarian Day on 19 August is dedicated to raising awareness of these people.

International organisations, aid organisations, relief teams and activists work to help populations hit by crisis, and their work receives millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money every year; yet the gap between their needs and the resources available continues to grow. This gap currently amounts to USD 15 billion. The problem, however, is not purely budget-related: the operation of the humanitarian relief system must be reviewed. In May 2016 the United Nations presided over the World Humanitarian Summit, at which states and other stakeholders providing humanitarian assistance committed to establishing a better functioning system.

Hungary shows its solidarity towards those suffering in crisis situations, and is participating in international humanitarian assistance in accordance with its resources. In 2015 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided some HUF 435 million for this purpose, directly helping those concerned in cooperation with the family of organisations of the UN and the Red Cross, and with Hungarian civil society organisations.