Esther, an ActionAid humanitarian worker supporting communities affected by the East Africa food crisis.

World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day is an international day dedicated to humanitarian workers and those who have lost their lives working for humanitarian causes. It is a global celebration of people helping people. 

Each year, World Humanitarian Day focuses on a different theme.

When is World Humanitarian Day 2025, and what is the theme?

World Humanitarian Day 2025 is on August 19.

The theme for World Humanitarian Day 2025 is "Strengthening global solidarity and empowering local communities".

ActionAid works alongside local communities in over 40 countries. Our approach involves building relationships with communities - especially women and girls - who are often the most affected by poverty and discrimination. We listen to the challenges they face, and work with them to find the best long-standing, viable solutions.

This year's theme highlights the critical importance of working alongside communities, not just as recipients of aid, but as partners, decision-makers, and agents of their own futures.

This World Humanitarian Day, we honour our local partners who lead with courage and insight. We continue to work in true solidarity—amplifying local capacity, shifting power and standing together with communities around the world.

Gaza Appeal

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is still catastrophic.

The focus must now urgently shift to meeting the overwhelming needs for nutritious food, clean water, shelter, essential medicines, and fuel.

So far we have been able to reach more than 464,000 people with humanitarian assistance.  But for World Humanitarian Day we urgently need your help. Please donate now.

You can also donate to our Emergencies Action Fund to ensure we are always prepared to help people in disasters and emergencies situations across the world.

How to get involved with World Humanitarian Day

Sahar from the PWDSA rubble

Donate to the Gaza Appeal

Donate to the Gaza Appeal

See all of our emergency appeals

See all of our emergency appeals

Read more about our work in humanitarian emergencies

Read more about our work in humanitarian emergencies

Why are women and girls most affected by climate change?

Climate change is intrinsically linked to poverty, impacting the lives of the world’s poorest people the most.

It is also intrinsically linked to gender, as we know from our work that women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the climate catastrophe. All over the world, women and girls are losing their homes as a result.

  • Women constitute the majority of the world’s poor, who are overall more affected by climate change. 
  • They are more likely to be dependent for their food and income on the land, and natural resources, which are being threatened.  
  • They are less likely to be in positions of power and/or decision-making roles. 
  • They are more likely to be responsible within their families for securing water, food and fuel for cooking and heating, which are all being threatened.1 It is often women and girls, for example, who are forced to walk great distances to find water when local sources dry up. 
  • In poorer countries, they tend to be exposed to the negative impacts of disasters, including death and injury. These disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe due to climate change.
  • They face a heightened risk of gender-based violence during and following disasters, and when forced to leave their homes due to climate change, become more vulnerable to early marriage, adolescent pregnancy, rape and trafficking.2

Turkey-Syria earthquake six months on

"The earthquake greatly affected our work because hospitals were destroyed and had to be reconstructed.

"There is a lot of physical and moral damage at the same time."

Amani is Head Nurse at an ActionAid-funded hospital in north-west Syria. She told us that a lot of hospitals were destroyed by the earthquakes in February which has left communities without access to medical support and healthcare workers without the vital medical
supplies they need to treat patients.

Since the hospital has opened, Amani has seen dozens of patients arrive to access healthcare services, including pregnant women and new mothers who need pregnancy and antenatal care. The hospital is there to serve women living in the nearby camps for internally displaced people. 

As this crisis continues to develop, we need your help more than ever.  Please help today

Supporting women's leadership in emergencies

In humanitarian crises, ActionAid does things differently. We work to promote women's leadership, ensuring women are empowered to make decisions about the needs of their community. 

We know that women bring vital skills, resources and experience to humanitarian response. And when crises happen, they are often the first responders, playing critical roles in the survival of families and communities.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, ActionAid has reached over 25 million people with our life-saving support.

We have put into action our women-led, localised response to the pandemic: promoting women's leadership, ensuring women are empowered to make decisions about the needs of their community, and amplifying the voices and representation of women in humanitarian decision-making spaces. 

Supporting local organisations in a crisis

On February 6, 2023, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the Türkiye-Syria border, followed by another quake hours later. Over 23 million people were affected, deepening an already critical humanitarian crisis. Urgent needs arose for shelter, food, water, medical care, and protection — particularly for women and girls vulnerable to gender-based violence.

In northwest Syria, ActionAid’s partner Violet was instrumental in delivering life-saving aid. They provided food, clean water, shelter, and mental health support. Safe spaces were established for women and girls and mobile health units delivered first aid and conducted hospital referrals. 

Sujoud, a Violet team member, supported women at a newly opened safe space which provided a private, confidential environment for vulnerable women and girls who had been affected by the earthquake. At the safe space, women and girls could share their fears and concerns, receive emotional support and partake in awareness sessions designed to help keep them safe from gender-based violence and exploitation.

Violet’s efforts exemplified the vital role of local organisations in responding swiftly and effectively to humanitarian disasters.

Footnotes

  • 1https://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/climate_change/downloads/Women_and_Climate_Change_Factsheet.pdf
  • 2https://care.exposure.co/far-from-home
 Top image: Esther, an ActionAid Humanitarian Advisor who is supporting communities affected by the East Africa food crisis. Sarah Waiswa / ActionAid 

Page updated 25 June 2025