At the opening of the fourth European Humanitarian Forum on Monday 19 May, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib reaffirmed the European Union’s solidarity with international organisations in the face of multiple crises.
“We are staying with you – our committed humanitarian family”, she declared.
“This Forum takes place in a different world from last year’s. More needs, less funding, drastic cuts. Millions of people need aid right now – due to war, climate shocks, hunger, and economic hardship. It is harder and more dangerous to get aid to them. Access is blocked. Humanitarian workers are killed”, deplored the European commissioner.
Reaffirmation of universal moral values. During a speech held on the sidelines of the Forum with representatives of several UN agencies (OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, IOM) and the European network of humanitarian NGOs Voice, Hadja Lahbib underlined the shared commitment of the EU and its partners to the guiding principles of humanitarian action, namely humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.
“Respect for international humanitarian law is not a luxury. Respect for our values is an absolute ‘must’. We believe that this is the only way to advance peace and protect human dignity”, said Ms Lahbib.
“What is at stake is not only our morality and our shared humanity, it is also our security, our interests, and our common future”, she added. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)