On Wednesday 4 September, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, delivered an assessment to the newly elected members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE) of his five-year term in office, marked by unprecedented humanitarian challenges.
Referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, the conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, and the worsening climate crisis, Mr Lenarčič highlighted the continuing deterioration in the global humanitarian situation. “Today, over 310 million people need humanitarian assistance, an increase of 135% compared to the beginning of my mandate”, he said.
Faced with increasing needs, Mr Lenarčič deplored the lack of humanitarian funding: “Global humanitarian funding requirements currently amount to over €40 billion. Until July this year, these needs have been funded at only 25%”.
The European Commissioner also emphasised the growing dependence on a restricted base of international donors, with the EU and its Member States among the three largest contributors worldwide. He reaffirmed the importance of the commitment by governments to allocate 0.07% of their gross national income to humanitarian aid.
The Commissioner also highlighted a number of advances made during his term of office, including the creation of humanitarian air bridges and stocks of humanitarian aid.
Mr Lenarčič also stressed the need to strengthen respect for international humanitarian law and to protect humanitarian workers, referring in particular to the ‘Protect Aid Workers’ mechanism.
The Commissioner urged MEPs to continue to support an increase in the EU’s humanitarian budget, while calling for more concerted action between humanitarian aid, development and peace to tackle the root causes of crises.
“The challenge ahead of us is larger than ever, but I have faith that, together, we can ensure Europe continues to be there for people in need”, he concluded. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)