World Humanitarian Day on August 19 honors humanitarian aid workers across the world, commemorating the anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Iraq in which the 22 casualties included the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In tribute to World Humanitarian Day, the Society for International Development (SID)-Israel compiled images for ISRAEL21c readers showing the faces behind some of Israel’s many renowned humanitarian organizations.

“We recognize with gratitude humanitarian workers’ dedication to global service, taking on personal risk and challenges, to save lives in emergencies and to support communities affected by crises around the world,” SID-Israel Deputy Director Dana Manor tells ISRAEL21c.

SID-Israel is an umbrella organization encompassing over 170 Israeli members and 1,000 partners, including civil society, nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, private companies, government agencies, academic institutions, and individuals active in international development and humanitarian action.

“Aiming to enhance Israeli engagement and impact in global development and humanitarian action, SID-Israel operates a variety of programs in public policy, training and education, capacity building, and public awareness,” Manor says.

Below are thumbnail sketches of the organizations featured in the slideshow, in alphabetical order:

CoCuDi Center strives to overcome misunderstanding, prejudice and distrust that cause societal injustices, primarily in Israel and Africa. Its programs are rooted in cultural identities and characteristics, geared to enhance tolerance and mutual respect by educating and sensitizing change agents to unfamiliar cultures.

Dream Doctors, founded in 2002, integrates professional medical clowns into the healthcare teams at 31 Israeli hospitals to improve patients’ wellbeing and enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery to newborn, pediatric and adult patients. With specialized training in crisis intervention, Dream Doctors accompany Israeli humanitarian relief missions around the world.

El Halev trains women, children, seniors and people with special needs in Israel, Europe, North and Central America to defend themselves using a tailored version of the evidence-based Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) approach.

Engineers Without Borders-Israel, a social-impact NGO, works to improve the quality of life of the population in six countries through environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects.

HalevAfrica (Heart of Africa) provides scholarships and items such as food, clothing and toys to orphans and abandoned and vulnerable children ages 4-14 from remote villages in Tanzania.

Innovation: Africa uses Israeli technologies to bring solar, water and agricultural advances to rural Africa. Since 2008, Innovation: Africa has delivered first-time access to clean water and light to more than 3 million people in villages, schools, medical centers and orphanages across 10 African countries.

IsraAID, the largest humanitarian aid organization in Israel, has responded to mass catastrophes in more than 50 countries since its founding in 2001. With around 300 staff members, IsraAID commits to remaining onsite after the emergency, providing long-term recovery and development assistance.

Shanita supports, establishes and promotes education in low-income populations in Israel and abroad through partnerships with local entrepreneurs in the belief that education is a fundamental right for every child regardless of color, race, religion or gender.

United Hatzalah of Israel is Israel’s largest independent volunteer emergency medical service, with more than 6,200 volunteers providing fast neighborhood-based first response, free of charge. United Hatzalah also sends teams to disaster zones across the world from Florida to Ukraine.