Honoring those on the frontlines of humanitarian crises
Every single day, humanitarian workers are on the ground serving those in need, no matter the emergency. Whether it be entering active warzones, traveling through extreme weather events such as cyclones, or mobilizing moments after natural disasters are detected, humanitarian workers and healthcare staff continuously put their lives on the line for those they serve. That’s why, this World Humanitarian Day, we’re proud to celebrate our incredible staff on the frontlines of emergencies around the world.
Day in and day out, it is hope and perseverance alone that keeps our workers focused – and today, we’re sharing some of these stories with you. We want to show you what your support has helped to make possible, and how those on the frontlines every day are turning the funding you help provide into lifesaving care.
“We fought tirelessly for our women”
When Mona first began working as a midwife in Yemen, she described her village as being “a world away from healthcare.” After years of emergencies, including a civil war that is nearing its 10-year mark, as well as a worsening climate crisis, women and girls in Yemen have long been vulnerable.
“Women faced pregnancy without proper care or follow-up. The traditional midwife, with all her goodwill, was limited in resources,” Mona added. “Many births ended in complications, sometimes tragically. The city hospital was out of reach due to cost, transportation and sheer lack of awareness.”
Mona knew that her work to safely deliver babies despite the circumstances would be a long, difficult journey. In Yemen, a woman dies during childbirth every two hours – making it one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. But despite the knowledge that the work would be difficult and often tragic, Mona knew that she had to be there for her community.
So, she continued to show up every day – despite the limited resources, despite the growing risk of violence, despite major weather events like Cyclone Chapala. “Despite limited funding and barely enough staff,” Mona shared, “we fought tirelessly for the well-being of our women.”
30 years later, Mona is still fighting for the women of her community and has overseen a complete transformation of midwifery in the area.
Thanks to the support of this powerful community, we refurbished the health center where Mona works – filling it with medicines, supplies, and offering training sessions for health workers. Now, dozens of midwives in the area have been trained to offer a comprehensive range of services, including operating ambulances so they can reach emergency obstetric cases wherever they are.
Mona, who is now the head of the midwifery ward, shared her relief in seeing such a significant transformation in her community: “After the devastation of conflict and climate disasters, it felt like a dream. Families in the region, displaced people fleeing war and floods, were able to find solace here.”
“I was born a feminist. My calling is to assist survivors of violence.”
As gang violence in Haiti continues to escalate, each day has brought a new horror for women and girls. Incidents of rape and other forms of violence against women have skyrocketed as armed gangs leverage sexual violence to humiliate, terrorize, and assert their control over communities.
The situation has grown dire for millions of women and girls – and it is for that reason that Ismène knew she had to jump into action. UNFPA, with partnership from a local women’s rights NGO in Haiti, is now operating a hotline to offer aid to displaced people and survivors of violence, and Ismène serves as a vital member of the organization.
“The work I do, I carry in my heart,” Ismène explained. She has talked women through some of the most traumatic events of their lives, helping them access the support they need to get to safety and begin to heal.
“I want to see zero kidnappings, zero men beating women, zero people being victims of violence, zero psychological harm, zero men not taking care of their children. In the meantime, we’ll continue to do what we do, we’ll keep fighting, keep working.”
Despite the dire situations that she is forced to confront, Ismène continues to serve the women and girls who call the hotline day in and day out – because she knows that as a feminist, it’s what she must do.
“A spark of hope had returned to their eyes.”
For months, the war in Gaza has taken nearly everything from children: Their sense of peace and innocence, access to necessities, their homes, and too often, their parents or loved ones. But volunteers at UNFPA’s youth-centers are determined to not let the war take their hope too.
Thanks to this community, we launched a youth-program in December 2023 to assist more than 90,000 children across Gaza. This program has already gained over 1,000 volunteers who wish for a better future for the children of Gaza than what they endured. Ahmed, who was born and raised in Gaza, is one of these volunteers.
“Children are experiencing what I endured in my youth – pain, siege and war,” Ahmed shared with us. “No child should suffer like this.”
But despite the dire situations that these children have survived, he has witnessed a truly remarkable change in those who have been reached by this program. Through small things that create a sense of safety, such as having doctors dressing as clowns when they visit children or spaces for the kids to play sports, children are beginning to return to their childhoods.
“We saw the happiness among the children, the laughter – as if a spark of hope had returned to their eyes: The parents too would watch their children with smiles and joy.”
Sarah, another volunteer at the youth center who has herself been displaced nine times, explained her time as a volunteer as entirely transformative. “Young people embody the soul and energy of our country,” she shared with us. “I want to show the world that no circumstances will extinguish the lifeline of hope for our young people.”
Thank you for being there, no matter what
World Humanitarian Day is a time to celebrate every person who is involved in providing care to those surviving humanitarian crises – from the healthcare workers on the frontline to donors and supporters like you. So, from all of us here, thank you for being such a massive part of our efforts to be there for every single woman and girl, no matter the circumstance.