Michael Landy Humanitarian Memorial commission at Gunnersbury Park

MICHAEL LANDY CBE, RA UNVEILS THE WORLD’S FIRST HUMANITARIAN AID MEMORIAL IN GUNNERSBURY PARK

The Contemporary Art Society Consultancy* was tasked with commissioning an artist for this important project and Michael Landy CBE RA was unanimously chosen.

Today,  His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales officially launched the first global memorial to humanitarian aid workers in Gunnersbury Park, West London. The Humanitarian Memorial has been created by renowned British artist Michael Landy CBE RA to commemorate all humanitarians who have been killed in service – of whatever nationality – and to celebrate humanitarianism and those who continue to put their lives at risk to help others in need.

The Prince made a speech to the guests, which included bereaved families and colleagues of humanitarian workers, representatives from the humanitarian and arts sectors, and local dignitaries. 

The launch of this memorial comes at a time of huge increases in the numbers of humanitarian aid workers killed. 2024 was by some way the deadliest year since records have been kept with 383* aid workers killed across 27 countries and many more injured, kidnapped, and arbitrarily detained.  97% were national aid workers. 

Right now, aid workers are deployed in all kinds of conflicts and disasters across the globe. Their work is critical to the preservation of life and human dignity for millions of people but their work is increasingly dangerous. Often they are deliberately targeted in attacks designed to intimidate, divert or disrupt humanitarian programmes for the civilians affected in conflicts or natural disasters. 

Other speakers at the event included Tom Fletcher CMG, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sayyeda Salam, Executive Director for Concern Worldwide (UK) and Sir John Holmes, Chair of the Humanitarian Memorial Committee. 

Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said: “Humanitarians carry hope where there is despair. They bring humanity where there is inhumanity. Selflessness into a world too often defined by selfishness. For many, this is not just a job – it is a vocation, a mission with meaning and profound significance. But for too many, it is also the ultimate sacrifice. Humanitarians are under attack as never before. Last year, more than 380 aid workers were killed - the highest number ever recorded. Our demand is clear: protect civilians, protect humanitarians, and call time on impunity.”

Sayyeda Salam Executive Director for Concern Worldwide UK said:

“When a humanitarian worker is lost the grief is immense and ripples outwards; from families, across communities and whole organisations. We felt that pain ourselves this year. On July 1st, 2025, Abdallah Shuko tragically lost his life when he was returning from a primary healthcare centre in West Darfur, Sudan, after delivering life-saving medical and nutrition supplies. His final journey was one of service, of courage, and of deep commitment to those in need.” 

“And we are not alone in our grief. Humanitarian organisations, many of them represented here today, have lost colleagues in recent months. These courageous people are often the thin line between starvation and survival and between hunger and hope for the many in desperate need. They must be better supported to do the critical life saving work."

His Royal Highness then met with humanitarian workers from UNWRA, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Islamic Relief, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Norwegian People’s Aid, to hear about challenges faced by humanitarian workers in Ethiopia, the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine and colleagues who have been killed. The Prince also met with bereaved families who had lost loved ones and survivors of targeted attacks.

Initiated by a voluntary and independent group of respected individuals and leaders of the humanitarian community in the UK, the global Humanitarian Memorial in Gunnersbury Park is realizing the vision of creating a lasting tribute to honour aid workers and to promote humanitarianism. In line with humanitarian principles, it was imagined in a public space, open to all, without religious or political affiliation, offering peaceful reflection to inspire support. 

The Contemporary Art Society Consultancy* was tasked with commissioning an artist for this important project and Michael Landy CBE RA was unanimously chosen. The memorial, a 7 metre diameter circle made from British steel and painted green, features a circle of 15 human-scale figures, grouped in fives, with spaces allowing visitors to join hands to ‘complete the circle.’ Each figure features the first-hand story of either a giver or recipient of humanitarian assistance – stories that have been provided by international aid agencies including Oxfam, Save the Children and Care International. 

Artist Michael Landy CBE RA who showed HRH The Prince of Wales around the memorial said: “It has been a truly humbling experience being part of the process to create this art piece. The fifteen stories that make-up part of the memorial bear witness to the best and worst of humanity. I hope the memorial will inspire a whole new generation of humanitarian aid workers and provide a place to go for reflection and some comfort for bereaved families and colleagues.” 

The memorial is a celebration of lives well lived, rather than a traditional monument to the dead, encapsulating the four fundamental humanitarian principles – humanity, independence, neutrality and impartiality which distinguish humanitarian work from other interventions. 

Sir John Holmes, Chair of the Humanitarian Memorial Committee said:

“Today’s flagrant disregard for the basic tenets of international humanitarian law, coupled with the dwindling resources available to face ever growing needs, have shocked even the most experienced and stalwart of us.  But we must hang on to hope and belief in the goodness of people. Humanitarians embody the very best of humanity and this Memorial can and must be a lasting testament to what they do and the sacrifices they continue to make. They should be honoured, not targeted and murdered.”

Gunnersbury Park was chosen as a site for the memorial in part because of the local demographic which includes people from countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters. The open-air memorial will enter the collection of the museum of Gunnersbury Park, which has an established Education and Outreach programme, and presents an ideal format for sharing stories of the memorial and humanitarianism more widely. 

The Humanitarian Memorial Committee has closely collaborated with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and ODI Global to realise this memorial.  It has received funding from many organisations and individuals who strongly support the cause.