In response to the exponential increase in humanitarian needs worldwide, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission proposed on Wednesday 10 March to strengthen the impact of the humanitarian aid of the EU and its Member States, in cooperation with partners in the international community, in the context of a global humanitarian funding gap (see EUROPE 12674/27).
The stakes are high because, according to the UN, more than 235 million people in the world will need humanitarian aid this year (1 person out of 33), an increase of 40% compared to the estimated needs for 2020.
“Humanitarian aid is a pillar of our external action. The needs are greater than ever, with conflict, climate change and coronavirus plaguing already fragile countries. It is a tangible expression of EU solidarity. Needs are growing, but resources and donors are limited”, stressed the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, commenting to the press on the actions proposed in the communication adopted by the Commission.
The aim is to better link humanitarian assistance, peace-building, development and disaster risk reduction, to increase humanitarian capacity to deliver aid quickly and to ensure respect for the principles of International humanitarian law, including access to the most vulnerable, wherever they may be, the High Representative stressed.
He gave the example of the Tigray region in Ethiopia, where “the EU must work with other countries such as the United States, Norway or the United Kingdom to obtain full humanitarian access”.
Referring to ongoing crises, such as in Syria and Darfur, he recalled the need to tackle the root causes when crises become chronic.
“We need to deliver better, by boosting the efficiency and impact of our humanitarian action. We need to be able to react with full force as soon as crises emerge. This renewed strategic outlook spells out how the EU can step up to help those most in need and show leadership at a time when the delivery of principled aid is acutely needed”, said Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.
Towards a new European Humanitarian Response Capacity. The Commission proposes the establishment of this instrument to intervene directly in humanitarian crises where traditional mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid through EU partners or their capacities prove ineffective or insufficient.
“We need to strengthen support for local actors and prepare to act directly, as we did with the humanitarian airlift set up in the spring of 2020. We are going to study the logistical capacities and transport and the issue of the volunteers that can be deployed”, explained the Commissioner.
This will be done in close cooperation with Member States and humanitarian partners, and this European capacity “will be complimentary with the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism”.
The aim will be to facilitate logistics, enable the pooling of resources and facilitate their deployment on the ground. This capacity could, for example, provide logistical assessments, support for initial deployment and procurement, stockpiling, transport and/or distribution of relief items, including vaccines for Covid-19 in fragile countries.
Broadening the financial base inside and outside the EU. The EU, together with its Member States, is the largest donor of humanitarian aid, accounting for some 36% of the global effort.
“In 2020, the United States, Germany and the Commission provided 59% of international humanitarian funding. The top 10 donors provide 83% of global aid. It is not tenable. It is time for this to change; humanitarian aid is a shared responsibility”, said the Commissioner. Hence the urgent call for more resources to cover needs and fill the humanitarian funding gap.
Last year, UN humanitarian appeals jumped to nearly 32.5 billion euros - a record high - while only 15 billion euros was provided. This global funding gap is expected to widen further this year, clearly requiring a broadening of the donor base.
Within the EU, pilot projects for public/private partnership funding will be launched this year, said Mr Lenarčič.
Respect for humanitarian law. In a context of increasing attacks against civilians and growing challenges to humanitarian access, in violation of the principles of International humanitarian law, the Commission proposes that humanitarian law be placed even more firmly at the heart of the EU’s external action to protect civilian populations and that the compliance framework be strengthened.
In concrete terms, the EU: - will consistently monitor violations of International humanitarian law; - will strengthen due diligence in all EU external instruments; - will continue to ensure that International humanitarian law is fully reflected in the EU sanctions policy, including through the consistent inclusion of humanitarian exceptions in sanctions regimes to avoid negative effects on populations.
Strengthening EU leadership. The Commission wants to strengthen efforts to work as ‘Team Europe’, measuring the collective impact of the EU and its Member States and organising the first ever European Humanitarian Forum in 2021.
Addressing the root causes of humanitarian crises by harnessing synergies between humanitarian aid, development and peace-building. The EU will therefore step up its emergency aid efforts by delivering this aid in close cooperation with development and peace-building actors who address the root causes of the crisis and promote long-term solutions for humanitarian emergencies.
Link to the communication: https://bit.ly/3bxXCN6 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)