UN launches #ShareHumanity campaign on humanitarian heroism around world

The United Nations relief arm said here Thursday that it has launched a call for millions of people around the world to drastically change their social media feeds and share captivating tales of humanitarian heroism ahead of this year's World Humanitarian Day.

"We're calling on the young and digitally-connected to help us push out these compelling stories and give a voice to the voiceless," said Stephen O'Brien, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in a press release issued earlier Thursday.

"Young people often ask me what they can do to help and I believe we have a shared responsibility to raise awareness and help to inspire humanity on these global issues," said O'Brien, who is the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and the UN emergency relief coordinator.

The #ShareHumanity campaign, to be observed across the entire UN system and beyond and culminating on World Humanitarian Day which falls on Aug. 19, has already captured the endorsements of numerous celebrities and newsmakers from around the world, including Australian singer Cody Simpson, Chinese martial artist Jet Li, British media mogul Richard Branson and Brazilian footballer Kaka, who kicked off Thursday the initiative by sharing people's stories of survival, resilience and hope.

The campaign itself called on social media users to "donate" their social media feeds and ultimately seek to leverage the collective power of millennials to inspire "a greater sense of responsibility, solidarity and social activism, using the far- reaching impact of social media," according to OCHA.

The launch of #ShareHumanity came at a particularly critical time for relief efforts around the world amid proliferating crises and funding shortfalls.

The United Nations has previously noted that in 2015 alone, some 78 million people in 31 countries across the globe require urgent humanitarian assistance, in the form of shelter, health care, education and food, at a cost 16.4 billion U.S. dollars.

Funds, however, are increasingly lacking and the intensity of violence facing humanitarian workers -- from Yemen and Syria to South Sudan and Iraq -- is progressively hampering critical aid efforts.

World Humanitarian Day is a time to recognize those who face danger and adversity in order to help others. The day was designated by the UN General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.

World Humanitarian Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work around the globe.

This year, the UN and its humanitarian partners invite all people across the globe to inspire the world's humanity. The theme calls on you to join any humanitarian organizations and become an active messenger of Humanity. Endite