Members of the European Parliament’s Development Committee (DEVE) are calling for an innovative approach to humanitarian aid to bridge the funding gap in the face of the multiplicity of major crises around the world - both those that make the headlines and the forgotten crises - and the record level of humanitarian needs.
Greater predictability, flexibility and mobilisation of public funds, from the European Commission and the Member States, and more private resources are at the heart of this approach advocated in the own-initiative report by Carlos Zorrinho (S&D, Portuguese) on ‘How to build an innovative humanitarian aid strategy’, which was adopted by 15 votes to none, with 2 abstentions, on Tuesday 24 October.
Above all, MEPs recommend that the EU substantially increase the amount earmarked for humanitarian aid in its budget during the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework.
In their view, funding should be increased for climate action, adaptation and disaster risk reduction, education, health and the fight against gender inequality.
They also advocate broadening the donor base at global level, with a view to ensuring a greater contribution from non-traditional donors and emerging countries. They also call for an EU humanitarian diplomacy strategy.
See the text voted on: https://aeur.eu/f/98d (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)