Jonathan criticises violence against humanitarian workers worldwide President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday expressed concern at the increasing rate of violence against persons working as humanitarian personnel across the world. The President expressed the concern at a ceremony organised in the Presidential Villa, Abuja to mark the 2014 World Humanitarian Day. Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, expressed dissatisfaction that in spite their passion to save lives, humanitarian workers had become targets of hostilities. ``Humanitarian workers have no other agenda than saving lives and delivering the basic necessities of life which include food, water, shelter, medical care and protection for the most vulnerable. ``Violent attacks on humanitarian personnel are increasingly becoming more frequent and brutal. ``In the last decade, the number of attacks on them has tripled, resulting in more than 100 deaths annually,`` he said. The President saluted the courage of those medical personnel, who, driven by passion and a strong sense of humanity, went beyond the call of duty and tried to save the life of Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian carrier of the dreaded Ebola Virus and as a result, became infected. He said, ``I want to use this occasion to salute the courage of these medical personnel and condole with the families of those that lost their lives.`` According to him, government is doing everything possible to ensure that those still alive get the best medical attention while praying to God to save their lives. Jonathan, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to be advocates for humanity as the country remembered millions of people affected by wars, natural disasters, insurgency, sickness, and famine. ``Those in need desperately require our help, but our ability to reach out to them is sadly becoming increasingly challenging and at risk,`` Jonathan added. The President said that Nigeria had been credited as the first country to have begun the commemoration of the world humanitarian day, especially in the West African sub-region. He said, ``This feat was achieved in 2013, when the country marked the World Humanitarian Day.`` He applauded the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and other stakeholders for their collaborative effort at institutionalising the commemoration of the day in Nigeria.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 21:23:30 +0000
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