World Humanitarian Day, 2024: What It Means

As we yet again record another World Humanitarian Day I take the opportunity to bring to mind the plight of those who suffer in our midst today.

Humanitarian work is a call to conscience it is an estate of the realm that must be motivated by passion and selflessness. I today pay tribute to the very many people transversing communities contributing in their own way to bring major medical; infrastructural and food supply interventions to people, both in the rural and the Urban poor communities.

I take this opportunity to Counsel Governments all over Africa to deploy able, and informed hands to help shape their humanitarian interventions.  Just like in other distinct areas the Not for profit sector is a sector, governed by certain procedures that has stood the test of time. The Bottom-up approach of intervention from a people driven needs assessment determination; to delivery; as well as monitoring and evaluation.

Suddenly, humanitarianism is somewhat being deployed across board without taking cognisance of the factors that make for success in touching lives directly where it matters. On this day we take the opportunity to call on Governments in Africa to deploy interventions properly through partnerships devoid of political considerations to ensure that hunger and disease is properly tackled by establishing properly run humanitarian intervention structures to Compliment  Government delivery of Good governance. 

There are many instruments that States in Africa are signatory to , both at the United Nations and African Union that enable them, indeed urges partnerships with Non State actors. This will actually help us depart from a culture of just sharing bags of rice to seeing through proper humanitarian giving. I urge Governments across Africa and especially Nigeria to begin to structure humanitarian intervention for sustainable impact.

Most of the humanitarian institutions and organisations that partner us here in Africa and come in with grants to the tune of millions of dollars are made possible by the building of structures that has lived beyond the initiators. We are well able to build institutions and  organisations that have structures. Humanitarian structures outlive generations and continue to grow in influence even after the passing of the initiator. I call on all who are of means to consider various forms of giving back which include long term structures like endowment of chairs in schools to scholarships and also the low-hanging fruits like running soup kitchens and food distribution in these times of extreme economic hardship in our land. The Urban poor is growing in large numbers in Nigeria today and this is a call to action to every stakeholder .

Happy humanitarian Day and thank you for your Service to every humanitarian out there.

Gloria Okolugbo is President Restore Initiatives &  International Relations Consultant.

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