On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, LWF General Secretary praises his commitment and services
GENEVA (LWI) – On World Humanitarian Day, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) recognizes its more than 7,000 staff working in humanitarian operations around the world. In a letter to LWF country program staff, General Secretary Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt praises the quality of their work and their commitment to helping the most vulnerable people and communities.
The theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day is #ActForHumanity and focuses on the alarming increase in attacks on humanitarian workers and other civilians caught up in conflict. The annual day of remembrance on 19 August commemorates the bombing of the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003, which killed 22 people, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Wherever I went, I witnessed vibrant and impactful work.
Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt, LWF General Secretary
In her letter, the LWF General Secretary mentions some of the many challenges that staff face in their daily work: “You work during droughts and floods, after earthquakes and tropical storms, even when your own communities are affected. You work when warnings of air strikes are heard several times a day, you work when it is dangerous to leave the premises because of street crime, when authorities and communities have to do a lot of persuasion to give you access so that you can help people. And you spend many hours navigating impassable roads and bureaucratic labyrinths,” she writes.
Burghardt also remembers her visits to some LWF country programs in recent years. ““Everywhere I went, I witnessed vibrant and impactful work. And more importantly, I saw how deeply committed the staff were to helping people with dignity and giving them hope for the future,” she adds.
Striving for just and peaceful societies
In 2023, LWF World Service was working in 26 countries around the world through 18 country programs, including many extremely challenging contexts such as Myanmar, Haiti, Venezuela, South Sudan, Palestine and Ukraine. World Service is currently present in 25 countries, supporting more than 2.6 million people affected by natural disasters and armed conflict.
In her letter, Burghardt points out that serving people in need has been one of the cornerstones of the LWF since its founding in 1947.”Each of you is an essential part of this mission. Your work is important, you are delivering, and I am proud that we are colleagues,” the LWF General Secretary concluded. “May you be blessed in your work so that it can be a blessing to those we are called to serve, and may we all strive for just and peaceful societies united in diversity.”
2024 could be the deadliest year for aid workers
In a related initiative, the LWF has joined an international appeal to UN member states to protect humanitarian workers and hold those responsible for attacks on civilians to account.
The LWF is one of 413 humanitarian organizations that a letter It reminds states of their moral and legal obligation to protect civilians and aid workers in conflict. The letter is part of a global campaign by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to mark World Humanitarian Day. It points out that 2023 was the deadliest year ever for aid workers. The number of victims in 2024, the letter warns, “is already staggering.”
