WRITTEN BY PETER KATCHY
Every day, humanitarian aid workers stand on the front lines of war and disaster,

braving tremendous dangers and difficulties to deliver assistance to those who need it most. World Humanitarian Day, which takes place on every year on nineteenth August, recognizes the aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and mobilizes people to advocate for humanitarian action. The day was designated by the General Assembly nine years ago to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq which resulted in the death of 22 persons.
The theme for this year’s celebration is, Civilians Are Not a Target. The theme calls for enhanced respect for international humanitarian and human rights law and protection of civilians, including humanitarian and medical workers. Around the world, conflict is exacting a massive toll on people’s lives. Trapped in wars that are not of their making, millions of civilians are forced to hide or run for their lives. Children are taken out of school, families are displaced from their homes, and communities are torn apart, while the world is not doing enough to stop their suffering. At the same time, health and aid workers who risk their lives to care for people affected by violence are increasingly being targeted.
Everyone can be a humanitarian. People affected by disasters are often the first to help their own communities following a disaster. Responding to emergencies is only one aspect of humanitarian work. Humanitarian workers also support communities to rebuild their lives after disasters, to become more resilient to future crises, to advocate for their voices to be heard, and to build lasting and sustainable peace in areas of conflict.
The International Humanitarian Law has four Basic Principles. The principle of distinction protects civilian persons and civilian objects from the effects of military operations. It requires parties to an armed conflict to distinguish at all times, and under all circumstances, between combatants and military objectives on the one hand, and civilians and civilian objects on the other; and only to target the former. It also provides that civilians lose such protection should they take a direct part in hostilities.
Under the necessity and proportionality principle, attacks on military objects must not cause loss of civilian life. Every feasible precaution must be taken by commanders to avoid civilian causalities. The principle of humane treatment requires that civilians be treated humanely at all times. It prohibits violence to life and person (including cruel treatment and torture), the taking of hostages, humiliating and degrading treatment, and execution without regular trial.
The principle of non-discrimination prohibits adverse distinction based on race, sex, nationality, religious belief or political opinion in the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians.
To mark the World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations calls on governments and other bodies across the globe to embark on programmes aimed at mitigating the effect of violence, regarded as one of the newest threats to the continuous existence of human being. Violence is said to account for over one point six million deaths per year across the globe, including Nigeria.
The UN classifies humanitarian crisis in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria as very high. Violence and insecurity in those countries are causing massive internal and cross-border displacements, and aid workers are saving lives at great risk to their own. In just over a decade, the number of people in need of humanitarian aid has more than doubled.
Sequel to the extremely difficult situations of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), mostly in the North East and North Central of Nigeria and other theatres of war, internal conflicts and flood victims within the country, every humanitarian is called upon to rapidly respond in one way or the other to cushion the effect of excruciating hardship, severe malnutrition, health hazards and psychological problem of displacement and vagaries of harsh weather, contaminations and terrorists invasions. Thank God state governments are brazing for the challenge.
However, it is most auspicious to use the World Humanitarian Day to call on everyone to eschew illegal deed, incisive utterances, bellicose stance, felonious threats, and pugnacious attitude that will precipitate violent exhibitions which could lead to death of defenseless civilians. Let it be made clear that civilians are not a target.

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