As part of the 2023 World Humanitarian Day, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Habib Ahmed, has remembered and celebrated NEMA humanitarian actors that have lost their lives and those that have suffered injury and trauma in the line of duty.
In a press release on Saturday, 19th August 2023 to commemorate the 2023 World Humanitarian Day Celebration, the DG said, “It is on record that some NEMA staff have lost their lives and some have been kidnapped, while many others have suffered tragic experiences while on active duty.
He further said that while Nigeria suffers from the impacts of climate change, more urgent humanitarian crises for the country include insurgency, banditry, and nature-induced disasters, especially the annually recurring floods nationwide.
“These events, no doubt, call for mobilization and advocacy for a peaceful and humane world devoid of conflicts. The world is now noted to be more volatile due to prevailing complex emergencies that have placed a serious burden on humanitarian workers.
“They now serve in risky environments in various countries to bring hope to the most vulnerable people, no matter where, no matter who, and #NoMatterWhat. This is the time to show solidarity and commend their sacrifices.
Engr. Mustapha Habib Ahmed expressed his solidarity with the staff of NEMA, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), the Nigeria Red Cross, the International Red Cross, and the Red Crescent, the numerous NEMA partners, the UN system, and community volunteers working in various hotspots in Nigeria and across the world.
“There is no doubt that your commitment to giving succour to persons in distress has enabled us to collectively make our communities and the world a better place for us and the future generation of humanity to live in dignity, peace, and prosperity.
He further said that despite all the difficulties and dangers faced by humanitarian workers, they must not give up on their commitment to deliver life-saving assistance to people in need.
World Humanitarian Day, a universal event celebrated on August 19 every year, has been set aside by the United Nations General Assembly since 2008 to celebrate the gallantry of humanitarian actors. These are people who have lost their lives, suffered traumatic experiences, or survived different threats to their lives while providing humanitarian service to people in need. They are the real heroes—persons caught in the web of natural or human-induced disasters and violent conflict here in Nigeria and across the world.
