Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital General Practitioner Oben Acay reminded that humanitarian crises have increased worldwide over the last several years and 65.6 million people forcibly have been displaced from their homes as a result of violence, weather events and extreme poverty, which is the highest level of displacement on record.  General Practitioner Oben Acay who made a statement on the occasion of 19 August World Humanitarian Day which has been celebrated since 2009, said that the date of 19th August was chosen by United Nations as it marks the anniversary of the bombing in Baghdad, an event in which the twenty two humanitarian workers of UN lost their lives.

“WHAT WE DO IN LIFE, ECHOES IN ETERNITY”
Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital General Practitioner Oben Acay stressed that humanitarian aid workers put their lives in danger as they perform their duty under very difficult conditions far away from their countries and loved ones. Acay also underlined that they do not touch only the lives of the people they are helping but they also touch the lives of others by setting a good example.  General Practitioner Oben Acay said that the purpose of World Humanitarian Day is to raise awareness of the plight of civilians around the world who have become caught up in conflicts, and also honour and raise support for the humanitarian workers who risk, and sometimes lose their lives to help. General Practitioner Oben Acay added that: ”Above all,  these women and men from different religions and languages  are living proof that humanity can unite.  Since the founding of the United Nations, more than 3,500 brave men and women have lost their lives in its service. We can keep their memory alive by remembering how they lost their lives and by reaching those in need. As Martin Luther King Jr. said; ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others? ‘. While we are facing problems in our lives, we can forget that others struggle to overcome bigger problems. One of the main reasons that UN has chosen this day, is to remind us this. If it can help us to get started, this day may reach its goal. As Maximus Decimus once said; “What we do in life echoes in eternity. “