World Humanitarian Day 2026: A Call for Accountability and Action

Every year on August 19th, the world marks World Humanitarian Day. On this occasion, Cooperation Canada and its members recognize the invaluable work of humanitarian personnel, including local and national responders, Canadian civil society organizations, and their partners, who work in extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions to meet the essential needs of crisis-affected populations. 

We also acknowledge the Government of Canada’s continued commitment to humanitarian action amid an increasingly constrained global and domestic funding environment. 

Despite these efforts, humanitarian needs continue to outpace available resources, underscoring the need for sustained and decisive political action. As conflicts, disasters, and forced displacement grow in scale and complexity, at least 240 million people, including children, require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Humanitarian organizations are only able to reach 135 million of them, with 87 million identified as an immediate priority due to the urgency of their needs. This leaves millions without the assistance and protection they urgently need.  

At the same time, insecurity, restrictions on humanitarian access, and violations of international humanitarian law continue to undermine humanitarian operations. Humanitarian convoys continue to be blocked, administrative restrictions are used to unduly obstruct the delivery of life-saving assistance, and humanitarian aid workers are targeted. In 2025, at least 350 humanitarian workers were killed while carrying out their duties, making it the second-deadliest year on record. These trends raise serious concerns about the protection of humanitarian personnel and the upholding of international humanitarian law. 

In many conflict settings, civilians in need continue to be denied life-saving assistance and subjected to prolonged sieges, while critical infrastructure is destroyed and food and water are deliberately denied as a method of warfare, alongside other serious violations of international humanitarian law. Girls and women face heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), exploitation, and other protection-related threats. 

On this World Humanitarian Day, we reaffirm that civilians must always be protected, and that humanitarian personnel must be able to carry out their work safely, independently, impartially, and without obstruction. 

Humanitarian leadership is not measured solely by the level of financial contributions. It is also demonstrated through sustained respect for and promotion of humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law, meaningful protection of civilians, and accountability for serious violations. 

Canada has both an opportunity and a responsibility—moral and legal—to demonstrate such leadership. It must ensure that its policies and actions remain consistent with international law by:  

• Leveraging Canada’s diplomatic channels and international partnerships to safeguard the independence and impartiality of humanitarian action and ensure that humanitarian actors can operate safely and in accordance with humanitarian principles;  

• Advocating for safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access including by urging states and parties to conflict to remove administrative and bureaucratic barriers that delay, restrict, or impede humanitarian operations;  

• Promoting accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian law, including by consistently condemning violations and supporting credible and independent mechanisms to document and investigate them;  

• Strengthening civilian and child protection, including through gender-responsive programming, and other relevant mechanisms;  

• Ensuring strong policy coherence across Canada’s international engagement, including decisions related to Canadian arms transfers, as well as other international trade agreements and investments, so that its broader foreign policy priorities remain consistent with its international legal obligations and commitments to the protection of civilian and humanitarian personnel.  

On World Humanitarian Day, Canada must stand with humanitarian workers not only in words, but through principled, consistent, and decisive action. 

Signatories 

Acted Canada 

Alongside Hope 

Canadian Foodgrains Bank 

Canadian Lutheran World Relief 

Canadian Red Cross 

CARE Canada 

CECI (Centre d’Etude et de Coopération Internationale) 

Compassion Canada 

Cooperation Canada 

Development and Peace – Caritas Canada 

Doctors of the World / Médecins du Monde 

Droplets Of Mercy  

Hands for Charity 

HOPE International Development Agency 

Humanity and Inclusion Canada 

International Development and Relief Foundation 

Islamic Relief Canada 

Oxfam Canada 

Oxfam-Québec 

Plan International Canada 

Save the Children 

ShelterBox Canada 

Tearfund Canada 

The Humanitarian Coalition 

Terre Sans Frontières 

World Vision Canada

Notes to Editors 

• Cooperation Canada is the national voice for Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations. Representing over 100 organizations, we convene, coordinate and advocate for effective, inclusive and accountable international cooperation that contributes to a fairer, safer and more sustainable world. 

• This statement is endorsed by the organizations listed above and does not represent all Cooperation Canada members. 

Media Contact 

Gabriel Karasz-Perriau, Senior Communications Manager 
gkaraszperriau@cooperation.ca 
(514) 945-0309