The European Union and its Member States pledged, on Monday 20 March, to collectively mobilise €8.4 billion in 2023 to help fill the public funding gap for growing humanitarian needs around the world, EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič announced at the second European Humanitarian Forum, bringing together policymakers and humanitarian actors in Brussels.
Entitled ‘New Global Realities - Shaping Humanitarian Action Together’, the event was co-organised by the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council.
Three topics dominated it: - addressing the explosion of humanitarian needs; - addressing conflict and preserving humanitarian space; - anticipating and responding to climate-related crises.
The humanitarian funding pledged “is for the most vulnerable (and) must be a shared responsibility. In doing so, the EU, together with its Member States, is renewing its commitment with those in need, no matter who and where they are”, said the Commissioner, saying this “initial funding” was “encouraging”. He was speaking at a press briefing at the end of the ministerial pledging session of the two-day event.
At a time when 339 million people throughout the world need vital humanitarian aid, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Trade, Johan Forssell, pointed to “Russia's war in Ukraine, food insecurity, famine, soaring energy prices” and stressed that in three years, needs have more than doubled while funding has not increased.
The ten largest donors cover more than 80% of the world’s needs, Janez Lenarčič added, advocating for a broadening of the donor base beyond the traditional donors, which include the EU.
In March 2021, like at the first European Humanitarian Forum in March 2022, the Commission had already argued for a more effective recalibration of European aid, given the scale of the humanitarian response to be funded (see EUROPE 12917/21).
The Swedish minister stressed that the EU plays “a crucial and leading role” in global humanitarian aid and that his country is “one of the most generous, second only to Germany in the EU”.
Asked to clarify his views on the links he wants to establish between humanitarian aid and trade, he explained that his government was “pro-business”. Hence the importance, he said, of “mobilising private businesses for investment in prosperity rather than fighting poverty”.
The first day of the European Humanitarian Forum coincided with the international donor conference for the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, which raised €7 billion in pledges (see EUROPE 13145/6). The second day, Tuesday 21 March, was devoted to workshops. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)