UK government launches new Humanitarian Medal to honour disaster relief workers

The UK government launched a new Humanitarian Medal on Sunday to commemorate people who give humanitarian help under difficult conditions in the aftermath of catastrophes such as earthquakes and conflicts throughout the world.

According to the UK Cabinet Office, the new medal will only be presented to persons involved in Serious Emergency (Level 2) or Catastrophic Emergency (Level 3) situations.

It will be given to public servants and members of organisations that contribute on behalf of the UK government, such as charities that respond in support of human welfare during or after a crisis, combating a life-threatening crisis, providing disaster relief, or providing aid in the UK and abroad.

Organisations qualifying for the Medal must have been deployed on behalf of, or formally financed by, HM (His Majesty’s) Government. According to the Cabinet Office statement, organisations such as charities that attend an incident without being asked by HM Government would not be eligible.

A Level 2 Serious Emergency is one that has or threatens to have a widespread and/or long-term impact, necessitating sustained central government coordination and support from a number of departments and agencies, typically including the regional tier in England and, where appropriate, the devolved administrations.

Under the leadership of the main government department, the central government response to such an emergency would be coordinated from the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR).

A Level 3 Catastrophic Emergency is one that has a particularly large and possibly broad impact and needs rapid central government leadership and assistance. Characteristics might include a top-down approach in situations when the local response was overloaded, or the exercise of emergency powers.

There will be no public nomination procedure for the Humanitarian Medal, according to the Cabinet Office Command Paper for the new Medal.

Government departments will create a case for the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations, and Medals, the UK’s official policy committee for the honours system. This might lead to a recommendation to King Charles III that the medal be bestowed.

A different clasp will be used to designate each use of the medal.

All qualifying services must be either in the form of frontline service, people-facing, or in direct support of an affected population.

Qualifying service for a recommendation for the medal would include at least one of the following: hazardous service; sustained service; and/or significant service, shorter in duration but characterised by a particularly serious immediate threat to life.