The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva paid solemn tribute to all humanitarian personnel who have worked in promotion of the humanitarian cause and lost their lives following that call, in a statement made on the World Humanitarian Day last 19 of August.

Aid workers are increasingly exposed to risk while maintaining a lifeline to the victims of conflicts and disasters around the world. The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva stressed that it is unacceptable that they are subject to harassment, abduction or even murder while serving humanity. This statement was made by the Commissioner on the World Humanitarian Day celebrated last 19 of August. On the 2011 celebration, the European Commission reminded that the EU is the world largest donor.

Since 2011, 109 humanitarian workers have been killed, 143 others were wounded and 132 have been kidnapped, according to the United Nations. The safety and security of aid workers is directly linked to safe access to vulnerable populations and the sustainable delivery of assistance. According to Ms Georgieva, World Humanitarian Day is also a day to examine our own lives and consider what more we can do to help - to reach out to people enduring conflict, disaster and hardship. For this reason, the EU honour all aid workers, also to inspire us to start our own journey to make the world a better place and bring our human family more closely together.

There are more than half a million aid workers in the world today, counting both relief and development personnel. Attacks on aid workers have increased significantly over the past years, with an increasing number of these incidents being politically motivated and directly targeting aid workers.