Burkina Faso Celebrates World Humanitarian Day with Emphasis on Resilience and Empowerment

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Naaba Kango – On World Humanitarian Day, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Humanitarian Action, Nandy Somé/Diallo, together with Carol Flore, the United Nations’ resident coordinator, acknowledged the significant contributions of humanitarian workers in the country. The event took place in Naaba Kango on Friday, August 16, 2024, under the theme ‘Acting for Humanity’.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Nandy Somé/Diallo, the day was marked to honor those who have dedicated or lost their lives in humanitarian service, highlighting the need for national solidarity and strategic realignment towards empowering and enhancing the resilience of communities. “World Humanitarian Day is a moment to salute and magnify the work of humanitarian actors and above all to pay tribute to all these humanitarians who gave their lives to save and protect other lives,” she stated. The Minister also emphasized the government’s gratitude to all partners and called for alignment with government directives to rethink strategies for greater community empowerment.

Carol Flore reported on the coordinated efforts that have helped provide assistance to over 2.9 million people in 2023 across various regions and sectors. She detailed that in the first quarter of 2024 alone, over 700,000 individuals received aid, underscoring the critical nature of the humanitarian response in saving lives and alleviating suffering. “We need to invest more in concrete actions that strengthen and shape resilience within families and communities,” Flore urged, inviting further collaboration to enhance the capacity of vulnerable people to create sustainable livelihoods.

Representing national NGOs, Ms. Gladys Sawadogo/Ouédraogo praised the combined efforts of the government and humanitarian actors in addressing immediate needs and highlighted the importance of synergy and resource pooling to foster a more effective response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. She called for strengthened capacities among national actors, NGOs, and governmental technical services for better management and response to crises.

World Humanitarian Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 and is commemorated annually on August 19, in memory of the victims of the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, which claimed the lives of 22 people, including the UN’s special representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello.