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Since June 2012, widespread violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has uprooted hundreds of thousands of people. The majority are Muslims who call themselves Rohingya—the world’s largest stateless group and one of the most persecuted. The latest violence only makes the resolution of the world’s longest civil war all the more elusive.

Today, as South Sudan marks the anniversary of its independence, the new nation is engulfed by a growing humanitarian crisis. Hopes for a peaceful future expressed four years ago are now dashed. Thousands of people have been killed, and more than two million uprooted from their homes by civil war. Unspeakable atrocities have been committed by all parties to the conflict.

Today is World Humanitarian Day, a chance to recognise phenomenal women around the world who dedicate their lives to protecting people caught in conflict.

Over 65 million people worldwide are currently displaced by conflict and natural disaster, the biggest upheaval of humanity since World War II. Now more than ever, the humanitarian imperative is clear. World Humanitarian Day is a chance to honour those who work on the frontlines of this global crisis, providing lifesaving services to the most vulnerable, often at considerable personal risk.

Meet five inspirational women who have overcome adversity to break down barriers and forge their own paths forward.

Masihullah was forced to leave his family, career and whole life behind in Kabul, Afghanistan when the Taliban took control in August 2021.  

The ̽����ѡ is responding to a deadly outbreak of cholera in the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, situated in northern Kenya near the Somalian border. Since November, more than 347 people including children have been infected with the highly contagious disease. With the onset of the rainy season, the ̽����ѡ is concerned the epidemic could continue to spread, making already poor living conditions even worse.