Seoul – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in the Republic of Korea (ROK), in collaboration with Save the Children Korea and Concern Worldwide Korea, hosted a three-day webinar series from 20 to 22 August 2024 to commemorate the World Humanitarian Day. 

Following the tragic bombing of the United Nations Headquarters in Iraq in 2003, 19 August was designated as World Humanitarian Day to honour humanitarian workers and their commitment to saving lives. The three-day webinar series – supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) – underscored the importance of collaboration and coordination in humanitarian responses. It was attended by approximately 80 people, including NGO practitioners, academics, government officials and the interested public. 

With the theme of “Environmental Resilience, Hand in Hand,” the webinar series aimed to raise awareness of climate-induced humanitarian crises, highlighting ongoing efforts to address them and promoting sustainable solutions. Each of the host organizations delivered a webinar session on strategies to uphold environmental resilience and mitigate climate change impacts in various humanitarian contexts. This included Save the Children Korea's session on durable solutions for climate-induced internally displaced children; Concern Worldwide Korea's session on field examples of response against food security in times of conflict and climate crisis; and IOM's session on the importance of integrating environmental sustainability strategies in humanitarian responses. 

On 22 August, the third day of the event, IOM’s session – led by Anaïs Matthey-Junod, Project Officer for Environmental Sustainability at IOM Headquarters – showcased IOM’s comprehensive approach to addressing various stages of migration. Matthey-Junod emphasized the importance of understanding the interconnectedness between climate change and environmental sustainability to develop comprehensive strategies that effectively address both challenges. 

The session also highlighted IOM’s greening initiatives, which work with and support affected communities to promote lasting and sustainable solutions. Examples from the field in South Sudan and Mozambique showcased the significance of incorporating environmental sustainability into humanitarian efforts.  

“IOM will embed environmental standards across our operations to ensure that we contribute to reducing environmental degradation, always looking for opportunities to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management,” said Matthey-Junod.

Since 2014, IOM ROK, with support from USAID's BHA, has been enhancing the capacity of ROK humanitarian actors through awareness-raising and advocacy activities, targeting both the public and humanitarian professionals. 

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For more information, please contact Youngin KIM, IOM Republic of Korea Mission, Tel.: +82 70 4820 2647, Email: yokim@iom.int.