UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a crowd of foreign diplomats and UN staffers at UN headquarters in New York that the day was meant to renew the UN's commitment to help 'vulnerable, voiceless and marginalised people wherever they may be'.

'This is also a day on which we pay tribute to the legions of heroic humanitarian personnel,' Ban said. 'These men and women come from many backgrounds. But they share a conviction that one person's suffering is everyone's responsibility.'

The UN decided to hold the annual World Humanitarian Day Aug 19 to 'shine a spotlight' on people in need of assistance worldwide.