World Humanitarian Day is observed every Aug. 19 to advocate for the survival, well-being, and dignity of people affected by crises and for the safety and security of aid workers who risk their lives to help others in danger.

In Gaza, civilians are in daily danger at an unprecedented scale, with more than 40,000 Palestinians killed and nine in 10 displaced from their homes since Israel declared war against Hamas in October 2023. Today, Gaza is the most dangerous place to deliver humanitarian aid in the world.

At least 287 humanitarian workers have been killed in the span of 10 months. This is more than three times as many humanitarian aid workers killed in any conflict recorded in a single year, according to the UN Security Council. The vast majority are local staff, but, as in most conflicts, little is heard about them.

Here are five stories from humanitarians determined to help, including the story of a displaced mother who is working through war, a chef who lost teammates, and a local nonprofit who is serving families even as their own remain at risk:

 
– Sandra Rasheed, Anera Palestine Country Director, remembers Mousa Shawwa, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike shortly after returning from helping displaced families in Rafah. Mousa was the fifth member of the nonprofit Anera team to be killed in the war in Gaza. Anera continues to deliver food, water tents, mattresses, and hygiene kits to Palestinians in need despite the risk. “In these cramped and desperate conditions, the spread of disease has increased, and there is an enormous need for humanitarian assistance,” Anera shared with GlobalGiving.

 
– Jose Andrés, Chef and Founder of World Central Kitchen, on seven aid workers killed by Israeli drones after delivering food in northern Gaza. On the Kitchen’s mission to provide food in Gaza, the chef said, “Food is a universal human right. Feeding each other, cooking, and eating together is what makes us human. The dishes we cook and deliver are not just ingredients, or calories. A plate of food is a plate of hope.” On Aug. 7, Nadi Salem Awad Salout became the eighth World Central Kitchen team member to lose his life in Gaza. Shrapnel from an Israeli airstrike fatally injured the husband and father of four young children while he was on his way home from work. Learn more about the lives and service of the slain World Central Kitchen team.

 
– Wafaa, a Palestinian mother of four who is now displaced and living in a tent. To make ends meet and to support her community around her, Wafaa creates traditionally embroidered clothing. Wafaa has received support from Sunbula, a GlobalGiving partner, to keep embroidering during the war. “When working on embroidering pieces, this helps me a lot. It is trying during those times, but it helps me in affording my children’s needs,” she shared. A bomb destroyed the women’s embroidery center where Wafaa once worked. Wafaa and her children, who are deaf, fled their home, moving from place to place for days until they found refuge. People with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to the violence and the extremely dire conditions in Gaza. Watch Wafaa tell her story in this short video.

 
– Mrs. Najah, a Palestinian refugee, grandmother, and humanitarian aid worker for the nonprofit Rebuilding Alliance. She had to evacuate her home to stay safe, and then resumed her work cooking fresh and healthy meals for fellow displaced families in Gaza. “I couldn’t believe we were leaving our home,” she told GlobalGiving. “The first thing I thought of was the family photos—I could only take a few. I also have some traditional embroidered shawls and clothes that are important to me because they represent my heritage. Most importantly, I had to ensure the safety of my sons, daughters, and their children.“ Today, Mrs. Najah currently oversees 11 aid kitchens that produce an average of 21,000 meals per day, according to Rebuilding Alliance. Learn more about her life-saving work with Rebuilding Alliance.

 
– The Nour Charitable Society Team in an update to the GlobalGiving community. The team, which provides humanitarian aid to people with disabilities in Palestine, expressed the tension between their commitment to sharing updates on their work and the difficulties of doing so in the midst of war. The team’s dream to build a new rehabilitation center is on hold. As of this summer, they were still able to support patients from their headquarters in Bethlehem, Palestine. Many of their patients are children and refugees. The need for Nour’s work has never been higher with thousands injured in the war and birth defects on the rise from exposure to tear gas, Nour shared with GlobalGiving.

You can help brave humanitarians bring aid to families caught in the war with a gift to GlobalGiving’s Israel-Palestine Crisis Relief Fund.

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