Cairo, August 20 (QNA) - Arab League affirmed on Sunday the importance of rapid response to aid those affected by natural disasters and armed conflict, pointing to the increasing numbers of needy people, which reached nearly 250 million persons worldwide.

This came in a statement published by the Secretariat-General of the Arab League on World Humanitarian Day observed on August 19 each year which is adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2008 to commemorate the killing of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, along with 22 workers in the humanitarian relief.

Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector of the Arab League Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazala stated that observing the World Humanitarian Day this year comes under the slogan: "NoMatterWhat," pointing out that through this slogan humanitarian workers underscore their commitment to saving and protecting lives, notwithstanding challenges and risks that threaten them during discharging their humanitarian duty towards people affected by humanitarian crises.

The Secretariat-General of the Arab League and its various action mechanisms represented in its relevant organizations and councils persistently call for non-harassment of humanitarian workers, ensure safe corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to beneficiaries, request warring parties to respect and protect humanitarian workers, Abu Ghazala pointed out.

She outlined that the Council of Arab Ministers for Health offered support to numerous ministries of health in the Arab states that are beset by humanitarian situations, including refugee-host states, pointing to the support the council has provided to the Sudanese Ministry of Health to further bolster its abilities in providing essential and urgent health services to the affected people, along with the provision of urgent assistance to Tunisia, Somalia, the United Republic of the Comoros, Lebanon, and Yemen, in addition to assisting Palestine and Libya.

(QNA)