No: 271, 19 August 2014

August 19 was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as World Humanitarian Day in memory of 22 humanitarian assistance personnel who lost their lives in the bomb attack perpetrated against the UN Headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003.

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Turkey, which has become the world’s 3rd largest donor country in the field of humanitarian assistance, commemorates with gratitude all humanitarian assistance personnel who have lost their lives while serving devotedly worldwide and condemns the attacks that have been regrettably increasing recently against humanitarian assistance personnel.

Turkey, which will host the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, considers providing assistance to those in need due to natural disasters, war, poverty and social conflicts as a humanitarian duty and an element of key importance for the stability of the international community.

With this understanding, Turkey will continue to resolutely play a leading role in addressing the humanitarian consequences of the ongoing crises in the broader international scene and particularly in the Middle East.