In December 2008, the sixty-third session of the UN General Assembly decided to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day (A/RES/63/139).
World Humanitarian Day is a time to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. The day was designated by the General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
19 August is the date on which a brutal terrorist attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003 killed 22 people, including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.
World Humanitarian Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the globe.
World Humanitarian Day honours those, who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and those, who continue to bring assistance and relief to millions.
Source: un.org