The Federal Government s Humanitarian Aid

Transcription

1 Translation Federal Foreign Office The Federal Government s Humanitarian Aid Climate change, population growth, increasing poverty and political instability in many parts of the world have led to a rise rather than a fall in disasters, crises and conflicts. In particular the number of natural disasters and their victims has markedly increased in recent years. Many of these people require urgent assistance to survive and to alleviate their suffering. The Federal Government provides funds for this purpose and thus contributes to international relief efforts. German humanitarian support, while neither in pursuit of political or other aims nor a means to implement state interests, is not apolitical. Through its willingness and capacity to provide assistance in emergencies quickly, efficiently and with a minimum of red tape, the German Government is also sending the people and the government of the country involved a political signal of Germany s sympathy and practical solidarity. What aid measures does the Federal Government support? Humanitarian assistance helps people in acute need to survive when they are unable to do so by themselves. In this regard the cause of the emergency is irrelevant. It could be a natural or environmental disaster, or indeed a conflict between countries or within a country. For that reason the measures and instruments used in humanitarian assistance are manifold: People buried by earthquakes are located and rescued; refugees are given shelter, clean water, food and cooking utensils, as well as help in returning to their homes; sick and wounded people are given medical attention; landmines and unexploded ordnance are cleared. Within a population group affected by an emergency, our assistance is directed mainly at those acutely affected and disadvantaged, such as the sick and wounded, women and children, refugees, displaced persons and the elderly. Humanitarian assistance also includes emergency food aid, often in the form of therapeutic additional food aimed at enabling acutely-malnourished people, especially the most vulnerable, i.e. babies and young children, to survive. In addition to humanitarian aid there are also food-security programmes organized by the Federal Ministry for Development Cooperation (BMZ). These are aimed at helping people threatened with acute malnourishment due to

2 - 2 - crises, conflicts and disasters to secure their own food supply. They seek to sustainably improve the food situation of threatened population groups, and to correct chronic food deficits in the longer term. For that reason the programmes can include the provision of advisory services to the relevant government regarding appropriate food-security strategies and grainmarket policy. Within the Federal Government the Federal Foreign Office is responsible for humanitarian assistance. It funds emergency and disaster aid, in particular also help for refugees and internally-displaced persons. As extreme natural events often have devastating effects due to insufficient preparedness, the Foreign Office also supports disaster reduction measures, using between 5% and 10% of its humanitarian assistance funds for this purpose. The Federal Ministry for Development Cooperation s (BMZ) work builds on the Foreign Office s quick-reaction and short-term support. The BMZ s emergency development assistance therefore bridges the gap until longer-term development aid begins or where necessary lays the groundwork for such cooperation. The BMZ fosters projects involving food aid, the creation or restoration of a minimum degree of infrastructure, food security and the reintegration of refugees. Humanitarian assistance is designed to safeguard people s basic needs. The Federal Government does not provide this aid itself but rather makes a financial contribution towards the work of German humanitarian NGOs, international NGOs and other international organizations, especially the UN and the Red Cross organizations. Aid is provided using the recognized requirement hierarchy: Top priority: Potable water and food. Medical care: Basic medical care to meet the target group s immediate needs, which cannot be met by existing structures due to the emergency situation. This includes the provision of medicines and medical disposables and the makeshift repair and equipment of medical facilities. Protection: This includes providing shelter from the elements through clothing, blankets and temporary accommodation, as well as sanitary facilities and fuel for stoves and heating. However, it also often includes specific measures, as defined in the UN Refugee Convention to protect refugees from attack and give them a minimum of legal protection, e.g. accommodation in secured camps, registration and the issuing of refugee documents.

3 - 3 - In line with real needs, over half of Germany s humanitarian aid goes to Africa. At present, the Federal Government is concentrating its support above all on the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on Somalia, where years of violent conflict have cost the lives of millions and displaced millions more. But short-term conflicts, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters also require swift action. How much does the Federal Government spend on humanitarian assistance? In 2006 the Federal Foreign Office funded more than 300 humanitarian assistance projects all over the world to the tune of over 77 million euro. This includes special funds for assistance within the context of the Balkans Stability Pact, and approximately 14 million euro for 43 humanitarian mine-clearance projects. For humanitarian assistance follow-up emergency and transitional aid projects the BMZ s 2006 budget was a further 93.5 million euro. What principles guide the Foreign Office s humanitarian assistance? When humanitarian assistance is financed by the Federal Government the principle of subsidiarity applies in two ways: first, in practical terms, that Germany as a rule only helps where the government of the country involved cannot or will not do so to a sufficient extent. Second, it means that aid organizations alone perform tasks they can best do themselves. The Government does not carry out aid projects itself, but supports NGOs, the UN aid organizations (e.g. UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Via Germany s missions abroad, smaller projects can also be carried out with local NGOs. For special measures which cannot be carried out by the humanitarian assistance players already mentioned, the Federal Foreign Office can also finance missions abroad by the Technical Relief Service (THW). The Federal Government provides assistance in line with the so-called humanitarian imperative, regardless of political, ethnic, religious or other criteria. German humanitarian assistance is guided by a sense of ethical responsibility and has humanitarian goals. It is exclusively geared to the needs of the people affected by crises, conflicts or disasters. For humanitarian assistance there are no good or bad victims, but only people whose health or indeed whose lives are endangered by an emergency.

4 - 4 - The principles guiding German humanitarian assistance are laid down in the "Twelve Basic Rules of Humanitarian Assistance Abroad" agreed upon by the aid organizations and Federal ministries participating in the Humanitarian Aid Coordination Committee. In 2003, as part of international humanitarian assistance cooperation, the major donors in the Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative agreed on principles designed to ensure that high joint humanitarian assistance standards are maintained. The most important element in the "Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship" are the four main tenets guiding humanitarian assistance: Humanity the centrality of saving human lives and alleviating suffering wherever it is found. Impartiality the implementation of actions solely on the basis of need, without discrimination between or within affected populations. Neutrality humanitarian action must not favour any side in an armed conflict or other dispute where such action is carried out. Independence the autonomy of humanitarian objectives from the political, military or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented. The Federal Government has fully complied with the aims of this initiative in line with German legislation. Unlike some other countries, Germany supports the humanitarian work of aid organizations, for budget-law reasons, mainly via project financing, and does not promote institutions nor grant non-tied contributions, apart from those amounts specifically mentioned in the Federal Budget and destined for various United Nations relief agencies. To what extent does Germany s humanitarian assistance take account of women s special needs? Humanitarian assistance is granted to all people in need, and no-one is favoured or disadvantaged due to their sex. It does, however, take due account of the gender-specific needs of women. In humanitarian crisis situations women and girls are often worst affected. In armed conflicts it is the women who, due to the absence or death of their husbands, often have to feed their remaining family and ensure their survival under harsh conditions. Female refugees often suffer from lack of security within and outside the camps. Sexual violence is a common

5 - 5 - feature of armed conflicts. But women in temporary camps as a result of natural disasters are equally often victims of lack of security. German humanitarian assistance considers the specific needs of women in humanitarian emergencies and tailors its aid measures accordingly. How does humanitarian assistance differ from development assistance? Humanitarian assistance mainly helps people overcome an immediate life-threatening crisis, whereas development cooperation aims to lastingly improve people s living conditions in the developing world. The concept of sustainability, which plays a major role in development cooperation, has no significance for humanitarian assistance, although care must be taken to ensure that humanitarian actions do not damage existing structures and block development efforts. Moreover, official German development cooperation mainly takes place in the form of agreements between governments, whereas humanitarian assistance particularly via NGOs directly benefits those affected. Humanitarian assistance has no political strings attached, while development cooperation as a rule is linked to specific conditions in the target country (for example respect for human rights or minimum good-governance standards). Development-oriented emergency and transitional aid, the responsibility of the BMZ, forms a link between humanitarian immediate response on the one hand and reconstruction on the other, and tries to bridge the gap between the two. The aim of development-oriented aid is to reduce people's susceptibility to danger and lessen the misery caused by crises and disasters. These are short-term measures which, while no longer geared purely towards ensuring survival, must nonetheless be implemented as quickly as possible following a disaster or crisis. They do not depend on any specific political conditions in the relevant country and the aid is to bridge the time gap until regular development projects begin. Humanitarian mine action According to recent estimates, landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) are still killing or maiming 10,000 people around the world each year. In many countries landmines pose a daily threat to people's lives. Anti-personnel landmines and UXO make no distinction between soldiers and civilians, adults and children. Apart from their direct lethal quality, they also have serious follow-on effects, especially in developing countries. For example, mines can hinder

6 - 6 - or prevent people from working in fields and meadows, and from reaching wells, thus stifling a country s development. Since 1992 the Federal Government has supported humanitarian mine-clearance programmes. Since then, Germany has funded projects in about 40 countries and made available a total of over 150 million euro for this purpose. If one adds the funds granted via the European Union amounting to some 80 million euro, Germany s spending totals 230 million euro, making it one of the world s largest donors. At present, some 13 million euro are earmarked annually for humanitarian mine clearance. How is humanitarian assistance coordinated? There is sometimes criticism, not always unjustified, that humanitarian assistance measures are uncoordinated, hinder each other and lead to wastage of funds. The number of globally active NGOs in the humanitarian assistance sector has risen considerably in recent years. Especially following disasters which had intensive media coverage and resulted in a rise in donations, there have repeatedly been situations in which several aid organizations with similar aims have "fought" over a certain region. The worldwide aid efforts following the tsunami in South Asia showed how vital good coordination is for successful humanitarian assistance. There are a number of humanitarian aid coordination mechanisms for humanitarian assistance at national and international level. In Germany the Humanitarian Aid Coordinating Committee, comprising representatives of German aid organizations, the Federal Foreign Office and other Federal ministries, meets regularly to discuss current humanitarian assistance issues and problems. At international level the Federal Government is trying to improve the conception and coordination of humanitarian assistance. It takes part in the supervisory board meetings of the UN organizations and programmes active in the humanitarian sector (for example in the UNHCR Executive Committee). Effective coordination of humanitarian actors is a major prerequisite for effective crisis management. For this purpose the UN has created the post of Emergency Relief Coordinator, to head the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The German Government expressly supports its central coordinating function.

7 - 7 - Germany is represented in the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN s central organ for economic, social and development issues. The segment, established in 1998, deals with basic issues of international humanitarian cooperation. Parallel to this the Federal Government participates in a number of international fora for donor countries, e.g. the International Committee of the Red Cross s Donor Support Group, the OCHA Donor Support Group, and the Humanitarian Liaison Working Group in Geneva and New York. Apart from these fora, the German Government also conducts regular bilateral consultations with the ICRC and UNHCR, in which the parties exchange views on humanitarian assistance requirements for current crises and discuss humanitarian assistance options. These two organizations are the main international partners for German humanitarian assistance. At European level humanitarian assistance is coordinated in Brussels in the Humanitarian Aid Committee (HAC) between the EU s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and the EU member states. The HAC is the administrative and regulatory committee for ECHO. Its special significance lies in the exchange of information on the humanitarian situation and in the coordination of the member states and the European Commission s humanitarian action. As a member of this committee Germany, whose financial share in the Commission budget is around 20%, can influence ECHO s financial decisions, annual strategies, global and country planning. In a crisis it is vital that coordination take place on the ground. Representatives of the UN, aid organizations and the local administrations meet often several times a day to assess aid requirements and update the list of offered or provided aid. As a rule this coordination is the responsibility of UN-OCHA. Its offices in New York and Geneva regularly collate and distribute all information on the humanitarian situation and requirements in a crisis region and coordinate individual UN aid organizations appeals for help. In spite of all these coordination efforts, problems cannot be excluded, especially in acute disasters. However, on the whole international coordination has improved.

8 - 8 - How is the quality of the promoted humanitarian aid controlled? In disaster situations decisions must often be taken without sufficient information and under time pressure. It is therefore all the more important that the humanitarian actors prepare appropriate measures and that they coordinate their efforts, that the helpers are well trained and that the material and equipment is of high quality. Victims real needs must be discussed with them, realistically assessed and account taken of their self-help capability. Misdirected aid leads to a lack of aid elsewhere, and mismanaged aid can cause damage. For that reason the Federal Government uses part of the funds earmarked for humanitarian assistance for external evaluation of the projects it funds. The results of the evaluation are discussed with the relevant aid organizations and are useful in ensuring that available funds are used as effectively as possible. Within the OECD there is a mutual review of granted development aid, which since 2003 has also included humanitarian aid. The Federal Government s development assistance was audited at the close of The result was published at How quickly can humanitarian assistance be launched in a crisis? The Federal Foreign Office s Crisis Response Centre is staffed around the clock and can if necessary launch aid measures within hours. Following the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean the first pledges of funds to German aid organizations took place as early as the morning of 26 December. The same happened following the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005 and Indonesia in The logistics of such an aid operation are huge; within a very short time medical equipment and relief goods, as well as personnel, often have to be transported to the crisis region. In spite of the need for urgency, the aid organizations project applications are nonetheless carefully checked. Estimates of the costs must be supplied. The funds granted are accounted for in detail once the operation is over. What problems does humanitarian assistance encounter? Humanitarian assistance is granted even under difficult conditions as long as there is a guarantee that it reaches those who need it. As a rule any humanitarian action requires the agree-

9 - 9 - ment of the government or the de-facto rulers of the country involved. The decisive factor is secure access to the people in need. Adherence to humanitarian principles is vital in order to guarantee such access, helpers acceptance by the host country, and therefore their safety. The dangers to aid workers safety have increased in recent years; aid shipments or refugee camps have repeatedly been attacked and staff kidnapped or killed. Disaster reduction: prevention is better than cure The number of natural disasters costing human lives and livelihoods is increasing, resulting in lasting damage to economies, especially in the poorer countries, and destroying years of development. Studies give rise to fears that due to climate change in particular weather-based disasters will become more prevalent in future. Disaster reduction can protect people and property. Growth, the sound use of natural resources, equitable social development and thus quality of life can be improved if damage is avoided or limited. Disaster reduction can therefore play a substantial role in the sustainable development of societies. The Federal Foreign Office funds projects which following risk analyses can be translated into concrete protective measures for the population in regions at risk, e.g. improving deployment, coordination and communications structures or early-warning projects. For instance, the Federal Foreign Office promoted the creation of a regional network in southern Africa to prevent flooding. The first phase of this project, implemented by InWEnt (Capacity Building International, Germany), began in Mozambique and concentrated on strengthening disaster-reduction personnel capacities. The responsible authority was sufficiently supported with training measures to enable it to organize a disaster-reduction network down to community level. The first successes became apparent following the hurricanes and flooding in Mozambique in early Improved precautionary measures and coordination structures helped to considerably reduce the number of victims compared to earlier natural disasters. The Federal Foreign Office also promotes regular, practically-oriented international courses organized by the GeoForschungsZentrum (National Research Centre for Geosciences) in Potsdam for seismologists from countries particularly affected by earthquakes. These further-training seminars deal both with assessing the risks and with options for preventive construction measures.

10 The Federal Foreign Office has long been working hard to promote disaster reduction as a crosscutting issue in science, practical action and politics, and to bring the various actors together. It therefore, from 27 to 29 March 2006 in Bonn, organized the Third International Early Warning Conference (EWC III) under the auspices of the UN. The motto of EWC III ("From Concept to Action") underlines the fact that the remaining gaps in early warning must now be closed systematically worldwide. The conference was a resounding success The previous conferences had taken place in 1998 in Potsdam and in 2003 in Bonn. The twelve basic rules of humanitarian assistance abroad On 17 June 1993, the aid organizations and governmental agencies involved in the Humanitarian Aid Coordinating Committee agreed on Twelve Basic Rules of German Humanitarian Assistance Abroad: 1. Disasters, wars and crises bring hardship upon people who are unable to overcome it on their own. Alleviating the suffering of these people is the goal of humanitarian assistance. 2. Everyone has the right to receive, and must have the right to provide, humanitarian assistance and humanitarian protection. 3. Assistance and protection are provided irrespective of race, religion, nationality, political convictions or other discriminating features. Humanitarian assistance must not be made contingent upon political or religious attitudes, nor should it foster them. The sole criterion in weighing up the priorities of relief measures must be the degree of human suffering. 4. The organizations cooperating with the Forum as sponsors as well as government bodies shall act in accordance with their own guidelines and implementation strategies and on their own responsibility. 5. They shall respect human dignity when providing assistance.

11 They shall respect the laws and customs of the host country. Whenever efforts aimed at providing optimum assistance conflict with the rules and regulations of the host country, such conflicts should be settled in the interests of achieving the objectives of humanitarian assistance. 7. They shall support and cooperate with each other as far as possible in implementing humanitarian assistance measures. 8. Those providing assistance shall be accountable to both the recipients of assistance and those whose grants and donations they accept. 9. Humanitarian assistance is first and foremost survival assistance. It shall help people to help themselves and reduce the likelihood of disasters happening. Where necessary, it shall take development requirements into account. 10. The organizations active in the humanitarian assistance field and government bodies shall involve local partners in their plans and measures from the outset. 11. The recipients of the assistance shall also be involved in the organization and implementation of assistance measures. 12. Relief goods should go where they are needed and satisfy local standards. The only criterion for the selection and shipment of relief goods should be the emergency in hand. Relief goods should preferably be procured in the region hit by the disaster.