This World Humanitarian Day, we honour the courageous people who continue to stand alongside communities affected by conflict and disaster, often at great personal risk. In 2026, their work has never been more important.
Across the world, those providing life-saving assistance are increasingly being targeted. We must continue to call for their protection, accountability for attacks against them, and respect for international humanitarian law.
According to the United Nations, 380 humanitarian workers were killed in 2024 alone, while hundreds more were injured, kidnapped or detained. These attacks often violate international humanitarian law, yet too often there is little accountability. That must change. We stand alongside those on the frontlines around the world and join the call to #ActForHumanity.
This World Humanitarian Day, we also want to recognise one of the many local leaders we are privileged to partner with.
We are honoured to work alongside Alaa AlSalaiti, Head of Programs at the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees (DSPR) in Jordan. We congratulate him on recently being recognised as a Global Service Leader by the Global Service Leaders Foundation (GSLF).
Alaa leads multi-sector programs that strengthen livelihoods, empower young people, build social cohesion and support refugee families and vulnerable communities across Jordan.
For more than 14 years, Alaa has worked alongside refugees and vulnerable communities, helping create opportunities, strengthen resilience and foster hope for the future
For Alaa, World Humanitarian Day is much more than just a date on the calendar.
“It is a powerful reminder of what it truly means to serve humanity,” he says.
“It is a day to honor the courage of every humanitarian worker who chooses to stand beside people in their darkest moments, often far from the spotlight and sometimes at great personal risk.
“For me, it is also a moment of deep reflection – to remember why I chose this path, to recommit to the values that guide it, and to remind the world that behind every number, every statistic, every displaced family, there is a human being with a name, a story, and an unbreakable right to dignity and hope. This day matters because humanity matters.”
Alaa shared with us that he receives the honour with a deep humility but sees the recognition as not just a tribute to him, but to every community he has walked alongside for 14 years.
“…the refugees, the youth, the women, and the vulnerable families across Jordan who face unimaginable hardship yet rise each day with resilience and dignity that humbles me,” he shares.
And Alaa believes that partnership is central to making meaningful change possible.