World Humanitarian Day from Shu’ afat, East Jerusalem

Over more than sixty years of conflict and several wars in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, have resulted in a long crisis with serious humanitarian consequences and has made the country one of the most dependent on external aid in the world. The ongoing ceasefire, has allowed the humanitarian workers reach thousands of people in need and opens a slight hope to the peace process.

Unfortunatley, although the media insist on neglecting them, there many more ongoing crisis in the world as the ones in South Sudan or Central African Republic. Programmes like the EU Volunteers Aid founded by ECHO, allows organizations like AWO International and Alianza por la Solidaridad, the chance to strengthen their actions by deploying qualified volunteers in the field, and at the same time, allows volunteers to benefit from their experiences and knowhow.

Living the 2014 World Humanitarian Day providing humanitarian aid in Jerusalem, makes you remember in a special way that day in 2003 when 22 aid workers were killed in a bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. A day to commemorate all people who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the world

This article expects to be a tribute to all the humanitarian workers, professionals and volunteers, that are committed to do the world a slightly better place without expecting anything in exchange apart from the own satisfaction to have done their best to alleviate at least a bit the people’s suffering. But overall, it reflects the wish that one day the humanitarian workers won’t be needed anymore.

By Neftalí Bernabé