The FCT Emergency Management Department(FEMD), marks the World Humanitarian Day, drawing attention to men and women who work on the front line of humanitarian crises.
In a keynote address at the event to mark the day at the FEMD Conference room Abuja, the Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mrs Alibi Akwaji Yabeni said that humanitarian work is not the responsibility of one person, but a collective effort driven by compassion.
At the round table event, participants identified attacks, threats of arrest, inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE),exposure during disease outbreaks and lack of enforcement as challenges in carrying out their duties.
In a contribution, Hajia Khadijat AbdulAziz, FCT Public Health Department said the absence of the appropriate PPE exposes humanitarian workers to diseases during outbreaks. She also cited security risks and poor funding as challenges in carrying out response during emergencies.
For Mrs Obi Chinwendu Anastasia of the Gender Department, Social Development Secretariat,(SDS) humanitarian workers may face attacks while handling custody issues.
Emphasizing security threats in carrying out their duties, Mrs Mercy Uwabor, SDS , called for the strengthening of laws to protect humanitarian workers.
She also called for security presence when dealing with difficult clients.
The humanitarian workers also called for a crack down on substandard maternity homes run by quack medical personnel, blaming the development for the increase in maternal and new born deaths in the FCT.
The World Humanitarian Day is observed every year on August 19.
The day was designated by the United Nations to honour humanitarian workers who risk or lose their lives while helping people affected by crises.
Nkechi Isa
August 28, 2026
