Today, we are saying thank you to a group of people who I consider to be the epitome of humanity, courage and commitment: namely humanitarian aid workers. Many of them are working under the most difficult conditions, also putting themselves in danger to support people in need. They go to places from which others flee. They give hope to those who have lost everything.

When I travelled to Mali and the Niger in April, I saw for myself how difficult it is to grow food and feed the population, especially in countries that are particularly affected by climate change. But I also saw that the German Government’s humanitarian assistance is reaching the people and saving lives.

Twice as many people depend on humanitarian assistance today than three years ago. For many, this is literally a matter of life and death. In view of this development, now is not the time to cut back on humanitarian assistance, even if we have to tighten our belts in many areas.

With this in mind, the Federal Foreign Office is making 2.77 billion euro available for humanitarian assistance in the current year. This makes Germany the second-largest humanitarian donor in the world, as it has been for years. At the same time, we are working around the world to ensure that humanitarian aid workers do not become targets of violence and persecution as a result of their important work.

The fact that we help people in need is part of our world view as a country for which human dignity is paramount – and I am proud of that. People around the world rely on our help in their greatest need – and it is our responsibility as the international community not to abandon them.