In recent months, the whole world has paid real-time attention to the deeper humanitarian disaster that Afghanistan has fallen into. Harlem Désir writes that now it is teetering on the brink of total economic collapse,
Harlem Désir is the Senior Vice President of European Affairs of the International Rescue Committee
The suspension of international development funding, which funds 75% of the government’s public expenditures, has pushed Afghanistan’s economy to the edge and paralyzed public services. Today, with the support of international aid, 90% of Afghanistan’s health facilities are at risk of closure. In a country that is already responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and more than half of the population is facing severe food insecurity, the total collapse of medical risks has triggered a humanitarian disaster.
Although the rhetoric of some European political forces may indicate otherwise, the vast majority of the 40 million Afghans affected by this crisis will remain in the region. Approximately 1,200 IRC staff in Afghanistan are working tirelessly to provide families with tents, clean water, medical care and education. However, humanitarian organizations cannot replace the role of the state and overcome this huge challenge alone.
After dealing with Afghanistan for 20 years, the EU, like the United States, has a great responsibility to the Afghan people. Fortunately, the European Union has recognized the need for leadership to resolve this humanitarian crisis, and is working to prevent a total collapse of public services by providing a one-billion-euro package for Afghanistan and the region.
However, the high level of attention to this emergency has not reduced the severity of other humanitarian crises around the world. Proper and strong mobilization in response to the Afghanistan crisis should not create a misleading feeling of “due diligence”. On the contrary, it reminds people that the international community must also step up efforts to deal with crises that have different causes but have the same serious consequences for the people of Ethiopia, Madagascar, and Yemen.
The word “crisis” usually means a new and unexpected situation. However, the fact is that the vast majority of humanitarian crises are long-lived, driven by conflicts, political failures, violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and a growing climate crisis. According to the latest data from the World Food Program, 45 million people worldwide are on the brink of famine. With rising temperatures, desertification and extreme weather events, this number will increase. As long as the international community fails to respond effectively, countries will continue to disintegrate and divide, and bring about destructive regional political, security and humanitarian consequences. Their people will continue to suffer.
A few weeks ago, I visited the Central African Republic (CAR), where decades of conflict and climate change caused heavy losses to civilians, and the consequences became obvious. Currently, 40% of the population of the Central African Republic is dependent on humanitarian assistance, and nearly 2 million people are severely food insecure. In Bangui, I met 11-year-old Magnou who is passionate about using women’s power to revitalize the local area. She hopes to one day become a lawyer and is able to do so, but—unless the situation in her country improves drastically—she is unlikely to have this opportunity.
Temporary restoration, such as providing support for people in refugee camps, is a lifeline, but it is not a sustainable solution to these crises. The Kakuma refugee camp that I visited in Kenya is still hosting 160,000 refugees about 20 years after it opened. IRC provides medical services to residents, but the international community should provide Kakuma people with more than living in the camp for another 20 years.
If the EU wants to break this dangerous cycle and respond more effectively to humanitarian emergencies, it should take four important steps.
First, the EU must use its political and diplomatic influence to address the complex underlying drivers of the forgotten crisis. The EU and its member states must work hard to adjust their positions, support the peace process, put compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at the core of their relations with partner countries, and vigorously advocate for ensuring humanitarian access and civilian protection.
Second, the EU must turn to a new way to link humanitarian assistance, peace efforts, and development assistance more effectively. For years, the EU has been talking about doing this — and promising to implement it — but it has not yet fully integrated into practice.
Third, this new approach should be implemented in the spirit of equal partnership with African partners and rebalancing the distribution of power in the humanitarian sector for the benefit of the people it serves. This will require people affected by the crisis—especially women, girls, and other marginalized groups—to be placed at the front and center of project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
Finally, in addition to working to resolve the crisis, the EU should also expand its commitment to take life-saving humanitarian actions in forgotten crises to ensure that people’s urgent needs are met. The EU and its member states can achieve this goal by significantly increasing humanitarian funding and providing such support more evenly.
When France assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union next year, it should seize the opportunity and take a long-term view. The European Humanitarian Forum and the EU-Africa Summit in early 2022 will be the key moments for advancing this agenda. Otherwise, the opportunity will be missed, and—as always—the most vulnerable groups in the world will continue to pay the price.
