World Humanitarian Day: The response starts before the emergency

21 August 2026 by Wendy WINN (DG SANTE, European Commission)

On World Humanitarian Day, annually held on 19 August, the lesson is clear: humanitarian action begins well before an emergency. Preparedness, often unsung, overlooked and invisible, is what allows health care workers to act fast, work together and deliver life-saving care when real emergencies...

Register to the Health Policy Platform

See full publication (Platform members only)