This World Humanitarian Day, we honour the heroes of humanitarian crises across the world: those who are first on the ground and at the forefront of every disaster relief, be it in a conflict or following disasters.
An increasing number of convergent threats directly impact many people’s access to basic necessities, including healthcare. Humanitarians are often the only line of protection for care, dignity, and hope. WHO joins partners in paying homage to them and their work, delivering no matter what, this year’s theme.
WHO proudly joins the campaign led by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) our long-trusted partner, and thank them for its strong leadership and financial support.
The World Health Organization launched an appeal for $2.54 billion in February, to continue to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable during this unprecedented moment of intersecting emergencies. Read more about some of WHO's work during this past year in humanitarian emergencies. From reaching isolated populations in Haiti to stop the resurgence of cholera, to tending to the last mile of COVID-19 vaccine delivery in Sierra Leone or the Solomon Islands, to continue the response in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Contributions have also helped Türkiye‘s earthquakes response, and to help lift barriers to health and healthcare in difficult to access areas in the occupied Palestinian territory.
We thank all our contributors who enable WHO’s response to alleviate suffering and help people thrive.
Haiti: Reaching isolated populations on La Gonâve Island after a resurgence of cholera
A sailboat from the MERLUH fleet being loaded with medical equipment and supplies. ©PAHO/WHO
After Haiti’s West Department experienced a resurgence of cholera, making it the epicenter of the outbreak in October 2022. PAHO/WHO worked with local authorities to coordinate a logistical operation and strengthen patient care facilities on the island, particularly in the communes of Pointe à Raquette and Anse à Galets.
To ensure the rapid delivery of emergency medical supplies and equipment, PAHO/WHO looked for partners to speed up the response and signed a memorandum of understanding with the NGO Humanité Inclusion and its Mer Logistique et Urgence Haiti (MERLUH) project. Thanks to MERLUH’s fleet, "we were able to rapidly deploy more than 6 tonnes of equipment and medicines essential for the management and treatment of cholera cases on the island," said Jude Romain, the Health Logistics Technician for the health emergency programme at the PAHO/WHO office in Haiti.
Sierra Leone: the last mile of COVID-19 vaccine delivery
Nurse Kai transports her vaccines via motorbike taxi to hard-to-reach communities as part of the mobile COVID-19 vaccination team in Sierra Leone on 8 December 2022. ©WHO / UNICEF / Michael Duff
Sierra Leone, a coastal nation in the West African tropics, was well on the path to recovery from a hard bout with Ebola Viral Disease from 2014-2016 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
Medical care was still hard to access in large parts of the country. While Sierra Leone was one of the first western African nations to receive COVID-19 vaccines—beginning its vaccine rollout in March 2021—by March 2022, Sierra Leone had only 14 % of its population vaccinated.
The community nurses and mobilizers in Bombali, as in other parts of the country, worked relentlessly to reach remote communities and villages. Nurses Kai and Koroma from the Masselleh Community Health Post, had to travel 20 kilometers over rugged, dirt roads from the regional city of Makeni to deliver the vaccines to the people that needed them.
WHO's response in Ukraine
WHO team in Ukraine delivered a cargo with the necessary medical supplies, medicines and equipment to hospitals of Poltava and Kharkiv in May 2023. Photo credit: WHO Ukraine.
Watch video: Providing essential medicines and supplies in Ukraine
WHO’s response continues. "Many health workers on the frontline in Ukraine didn’t leave and continue to work. So, we have to continue to work”- Laura Lloyd-Braff, a WHO health service delivery specialist talks about delivering medicines & supplies to communities on the ground.
Read more about WHO’s work for the Ukraine response
In the Solomon Islands, many rivers to cross
Crossing rivers, a field vaccination and health care team made its way from Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, to reach the mountain village of Kuvamiti. ©WHO/Neil Nuia
It takes two days’ journey at least from Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, to reach the mountain village of Kuvamiti to provide and deliver routine health care and immunization for the people who live and work there.
Nurse Rosemary Raikekeni runs the health clinic in Totongo on the coast of Guadalcanal, six bumpy hours’ drive from the capital. It is the nearest permanent clinic for many villages in the far interior of the island. It is two hours by Land Cruiser to Kuvamiti village—if there are no landslides, and the rivers are all open for crossing or otherwise many hours’ walk.
In January 2022, WHO, UNICEF and Gavi established the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) to intensify support to COVID-19 vaccine delivery.
Related: Read more about the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Partnership.
Video: COVID-19 vaccination in the Solomon Islands: The Bigger Picture
Türkiye: Emergency medical teams supporting the health response to the earthquakes
Emergency Medical Teams Türkiye earthquakes. ©WHO
The earthquakes in south-eastern Türkiye in February 2023 were the worst in more than 80 years. They not only caused a huge loss of life in both Türkiye and Syria, but also led to thousands of injuries, and the displacement of many people from their homes.
“WHO initiated the largest deployment of Emergency Medical Teams to a WHO/Europe disaster zone in its 75-year history. These teams are integrated into the Türkiye ongoing health response” WHO Global Network Leader Flavio Salio commented.
EMTs are an important part of the global health workforce, providing extra surge capacity and expertise to countries in response to disasters and health emergencies. Consisting of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health professionals from across the world.
Related: Emergency medical teams
OPT: Calling on international organizations to help with more doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and ambulances
Dr Shadi, a doctor working in emergency medicine at Huwara Emergency Medical Centre, Nablus. ©WHO
“The ambulances were not able to transfer the injured people or provide them with needed treatment. One of the conditions put on the first responders was that they would have to get out of the ambulance and go on foot to provide treatment in the field, where they were not allowed to evacuate the injured from the location.”
With funding support the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the WHO occupied Palestinian territory Right to Health programme monitors and documents the barriers to the right to health and social determinants of health, including obstacles to health access and attacks on health care.
Related: Video - I call on international organizations to give us protection - Shadi
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WHO thanks all donor countries, governments, organizations and individuals who are contributing to the Organization’s work, with special appreciation for those who provide fully flexible contributions to maintain a strong, independent WHO.
This week we also especially thank all our donors who support our emergencies work through the Contingency Fund for Emergencies and other means, contributing towards our humanitarian health appeals.
Donors and partners featured in this story include:
The EU through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
Canada
UNICEF
GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UN OCHA and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies (contributors in 2022-23: Canada, Estonia, Germany, Kuwait, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Slovakia, Switzerland, United States of America).