52 Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition - DIHAD 2015 53The Humanitarian Aid and Development PerspectivesOpportunity, Mobility and Sustainability:

South Sudan are four of the UN’s highest emergency level crises that shook the world simultaneously, while the deadly Ebola epidemic hit West Africa in an extraordinary way.

In the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), where the European Union has had a committed presence as a leading humanitarian and development donor, complex protracted emergency situations present a great challenge. In Palestine, a long-lasting protection crisis endures under the context of the blockade of Gaza and the occupation in the West Bank. In Yemen, where 10.6 million of the population are considered food insecure, the security situation continues to deteriorate threatening to worsen malnutrition rates and poverty levels.

Every day, scores of civilians are killed in armed conflict in Syria, Iraq and Libya, where the humanitarian space is increasingly shrinking. Breaches of International Humanitarian Law are steadily practiced and the delivery of humanitarian assistance is halted by the systematic targeting of aid workers.

The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) has committed 1.2 billion globally in humanitarian assistance in 2014 alone and has nine field offices in the MENA region.

Responding toEmergencies:

Dignified, coordinated and sustainable humanitarian assistance

2014 was marked by conflicts and humanitarian crises that have led to immense human suffering, tragic destruction and an alarming level of displacement across the world. For the first time since World War II, the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes exceeds 50 million, triggering tremendous humanitarian needs. Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic and

Written by:

Christos Stylianides EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management

54 Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition - DIHAD 2015 55The Humanitarian Aid and Development PerspectivesOpportunity, Mobility and Sustainability:

Sustainable assistance and resilienceToday we must optimize links between humanitarian and development aid to ensure the sustainability of aid outcomes on the lives of people suffering worldwide. EU development assistance systematically adopts a resilience approach; where the capacities and potential of those receiving assistance are utilized and strengthened. In 2014, 23% of the European Union’s humanitarian funding went to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) projects and more than 48% of all ECHO funded projects include DRR components.

Over the last three decades providing humanitarian aid has been the primary response of the international community to forced displacement crises. Although vital, this approach stops short of offering sustainable solutions that protect the dignity of affected populations. In protracted crises, the lack of a long term approach for the growing number of displaced people has created dependency on continued humanitarian aid and a deadlock in the prospect of improving living conditions. There is, for example, a growing concern that such a system failing in providing consistent education to children in emergencies would lead to a “lost generation”.

However, the transition from emergency response to development is far from linear and it is fundamental that humanitarian and developmental stakeholders engage hand in

hand from the outset of a crisis in order to ensure that the development dimensions of forced displacement are addressed. More than ever, humanitarian and development actors need to join forces and design comprehensive and innovative approaches to address particularly emerging crises, taking full account of the political, humanitarian, security and developmental dimensions of displacement.

Global burden-sharing In these times of sharply escalating numbers of forcibly displaced people, we must not forget the impact that these forced movements have on developing countries, which host 86% of the world’s refugees. The burden on some of these hosting countries is unsustainable and aid budgets are simply inadequate to address the needs.

The international community needs to show more tangible solidarity with those host countries whose capacities are overstretched in providing more resettlement opportunities for people in need of international protection. This needs to be done in a more balanced manner with proper burden-sharing, internally in

the European Union, but also at global level throughout developed countries.

In the next 12 months we will see a number of high-level events aiming to address some of the most pressing questions of our time: sustainable development, the post MDG framework, disaster risk reduction, climate change and, not least, the future of humanitarian aid. We will have to make all possible efforts together, be it from the Global North or the Global South, to find some answers to the challenges ahead of us.

This reality has underpinned the ongoing consultations towards the World Humanitarian Summit 2016 on how to work better together, improve the quality and effectiveness of aid, serve people better in conflict, use innovative and forward-looking approaches and improve links with development aid.

The Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development conference is an opportunity that the European Commission has embraced for the past four years in a row to display the EU’s commitment in this vital partnership for improved humanitarian response. Humanity is watching us and we must deliver.

Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management

Joining forces in a coordinated responseAs we attempt to address this unprecedented challenge, humanitarian actors must join forces to ensure a dignified, coordinated and sustainable humanitarian response. Shared values of solidarity and compassion are the essence of the humanity that unites the global aid community. We must invest in diversified partnerships that bring together all actors in the humanitarian landscape; donors from East and West,

affected communities, diasporas, charities, foundations, and the private sector. Today more than ever, we need to reach out across borders and beyond traditional modes of operation to improve our principled humanitarian approach and improve the lives of victims of disaster.

The European Union values its close cooperation with the Arab donors and aims for a partnership that goes beyond mere financial burden-sharing. Instead, this partnership is seen as a genuine opportunity for both parties to increase aid effectiveness, enhance the resilience of affected populations, ensure that the response is principled and inclusive, and ultimately better serve people in need. The

European Commission has shown serious interest in its outreach to Arab donors and public through consistent participation in conferences, round table discussions and the sharing of expertise. In 2011, ECHO launched an Arabic website where key policy documents like the EU Consensus on Humanitarian Aid and others are available in the Arabic language.

Under this partnership, ensuring the complementarity of the humanitarian response is key to successfully achieving cost-effectiveness, avoiding the duplication of efforts, and utilizing resources in the best fashion possible.