World Humanitarian Day has been celebrated by over 40 countries worldwide on 19 August since 2009. The day was chosen to commemorate the death of 22 humanitarian workers who, in 2003, were killed when the UN Office in Iraq was bombed.

Among those killed was Sergio Viera de Mello, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq. His widow, who set up the Sergio Viera de Mello Foundation, fought for 19 August to be recognised as World Humanitarian Day. This was agreed by the UN General Assembly in December 2008, and first celebrated in 2009. Click here to read about Britain's involvement.