By Yusuf Adua
Every 19th day in the month of August is always a colourful day. The obvious reason is that it is the day set aside to commemorate individuals who heartily concerned themselves with people’s welfare, and the alleviation of suffering; who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need, The World Humanitarian Day (WHD)
This day was designated in memory of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 22 people, including the chief humanitarian in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly formalized the day as World Humanitarian Day.
Meanwhile, there is a common saying in Nigeria anytime Mr. X observes a foul play in any of his engagement between Mr. Y; “I charge you to the “COURT OF GOD”. The court of God is not imminent, it is really far_reaching but the court of humanity is Catholic, it should be our first call. There is a need to celebrate humanitarians – say a big “thank you” to the people who have committed their lives to help others even before we get to that mythical court of God.
It is no gainsaying that from the professionals such as health workers, teachers, security personnel, journalists to the household and unestablished messiahs, philanthropists, community police and so on, insufficient emphasis has always been placed on their relevance to the society which could land all human creatures life imprisonment when we get to that ” court of God”.
Coronavirus pandemic which has seized motion all over the world for months now has put a number of technocrats to the field; from the health workers who are tasked with treating infected persons, security operatives who are at the front line of maintaining law and order as well as making sure that lockdown restrictions are strictly complied with to curb the spread of the virus, to the journalists who make sure that accurate information is doled out for public consumption to avoid stigmatization and unnecessary anxiety out of which many have either contracted the disease or lost their lives, The World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is the perfect time to appreciate them for these priceless efforts.
Other disasters never stopped, flood, insurgency and banditry, thunderstorm, and so on have untimely displaced countless number of people from their various homes.
Kindhearted individuals, corporations, government agencies, NGOs, pressure groups and religious organisations have taken it upon themselves to voluntarily take care of the needs of these people in utter despondency.
Even if there is no space in our society to accommodate praising these bodies for their benevolent deeds, a day like The World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is efficient to hit them resounding applause for using their heard_earned money, proficient skill and valuable time and resources, to show love and offer hope to the hopeless.
We at News Live Nigeria acknowledge the relevance of every humanitarian and appreciate them for their generosity in skill and resource. Even though there are still bountiful rewards for them at the court of God, appreciating them all in this court of humanity won’t be a bad idea.
