Created to honor people who dedicate their lives to serving others and defending humanitarian causes, World Humanitarian Day, celebrated on August 19, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008.
There are great challenges faced daily by thousands of professionals and volunteer workers, whose actions have a real impact on the people they serve. By delivering health care and education, food and water, shelter and protection, they are delivering more than humanitarian aid, they are also delivering hope.
According to the UN, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has never been higher than it is today, with 1 in every 33 people on the entire planet needing humanitarian assistance because of conflicts, climate change, endemic diseases, poverty, famine and unprecedented levels of forced displacement.
Activities of the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM)
Since 2011, the volunteer humanitarian actors of the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) have been active in national and international missions in countries such as Angola, Argentina, Egypt, Colombia, Ethiopia, Chile, Greece, Rwanda, Nepal, Turkey, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Lebanon and Paraguay, in addition to Brazil.
With constant dedication, imbued with the purpose of doing good, these volunteer humanitarian actors act in a neutral, genuine and transparent manner and are fully dedicated to serving the global humanitarian agenda wherever the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) intervenes.
The Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) develops projects with local communities and actors who already play a role in local and social responses. It operates in different phases of humanitarian crises, focusing on negotiation and dialogue to improve living conditions and assist the affected populations. It operates through the following Intervention Sectors:
- Education in Emergency Situations and Humanitarian Responses with an approach to overcoming traumas;
- Articulation in management, dialogue and humanitarian negotiation aiming at lasting solutions and strategy development;
- Joint construction of Durable, Localized Solutions and Means of Life;
- Initiatives in agroecology based on experiences of more than thirty years, adapted to local contexts;
- Food security, especially in the optimization of harvested products and preparation of nutritious compositions based on the resources of each intervention site;
- Humanitarian Training in the protocols defined in the Sphere Handbook;
- Coordination and Management of the Refugee Camp (“Camp Coordination and Camp Management” – CCCM).
Volunteer humanitarian actors
With an invaluable contribution in favor of victims of humanitarian crises, the volunteer humanitarian actors of the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) work in different regions of the planet.
In different situations, volunteer humanitarian actors seek to build a dialogue with communities and local organizations to learn about specific demands and assess, together with them, how the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) can unite efforts within the scope of its Intervention Sectors and contribute in the construction of lasting solutions that guarantee the gradual integration and autonomy of the affected populations.
“As is customary at the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), we always seek to join efforts with other organizations that are already operating, so that we can better understand the context and join these organizations and, in this way, be able to reach the people who are most in need,” explains volunteer humanitarian actor Aajhmaná.
Aajhmaná has already worked in several missions carried out by the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), including the most recent ones, such as the Humanitarian Turkey Mission which, from March 21 to May 6, provided assistance to the victims of the earthquake that hit that country and region hard. She is currently serving in the Angola Mission which, since 2022, has been developing projects in four Intervention Sectors: Livelihoods and Durable Solutions, Education in Emergencies and Humanitarian Responses, Food Security and Humanitarian Training.
“I believe that, after all the experience we have lived here at the Turkey Mission, the greatest learning is about human resilience. I think this is an essential point, the resilience and solidarity that this mission has shown us,” evaluates the humanitarian actor.
Imer is part of the first group of volunteer humanitarian actors created by the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) and has already worked in dozens of missions around the world. Recently, he worked at the Roraima Humanitarian Mission, created to contribute to the response to the Venezuelan migratory crisis, and also at the Turkey Humanitarian Mission.
The humanitarian actor emphasizes that “the experience of the missions also gives us this perception of knowing how to reach out to human beings, which transcends all this cultural part, because where we meet as human beings, even with differences, we are similar, we are equal,” Imer points out.
A task for everyone
“During the Turkey Mission, we realized that it was not easy for anyone: for those who had lost everything, for those who were helping, even for people to whom nothing had happened, who had not lost their homes, their families, who were lucky that it didn’t happen to them, but to whoever was by their side, yes,” points out Imer.
The experiences reported by Imer and Aajhmaná emphasize the fact that everyone can contribute to a humanitarian mission, it is enough to be imbued with solidarity and love for others. Humanitarian work is everyone’s task to support everyone.
Meeting the enormous needs of victims of disasters and conflicts around the world involves many actions by people who are geographically close or distant, whether through donations, dedication or the work of institutions and governments; the important thing is to build a network of solidarity and care for those who need it most.
The objective of the humanitarian action instituted by the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) is to do good, promote peace, acting with neutrality, impartiality and independence, respecting the manifestation and cultural expression of different peoples.
The Fraternity – International Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) reiterates its gratitude to the volunteer humanitarian actors who, with love, dedication and respect, strive to make the world a better place for all.
Find out about the missions carried out by the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM).
Visit: www.missoeshumanitarias.org
