International Humanitarian Principles under Threat by Poul Nielson, EU Commissioner for Development European Commission 4:03pm 16th May, 2003   Reliefweb: 15 May 2003    "Humanitarian principles under threat", says Poul Nielson    Brussels, 15 May 2003 - Recently back from a mission in Iraq, Mr Poul Nielson, European Commissioner in charge of Development and Humanitarian Aid, today warned that the core principles of international humanitarian law, namely humanity, impartiality and independence of action, are being eroded. "These principles have been agreed at international level to ensure that life saving support reaches the most vulnerable during an emergency. When they are compromised, it is the victims who suffer most. It is imperative to provide the space for humanitarian agencies to get on with the job which is already dangerous enough", he said. In some crisis zones, such as Chechnya or the Palestinian territories, aid workers are being denied access to people in need. Moreover, in the course of 2002, aid workers have continued to be targeted, and even killed, while carrying out their duties, prompting their organisations to halt humanitarian activities in the affected region.    In launching "ECHO 2002", the latest annual review of the Humanitarian Aid Office ECHO, Mr Nielson highlighted the leading role of the European Union in assisting victims of humanitarian crises around the world. Despite the many obstacles faced by its partners, the Humanitarian Aid Office successfully intervened in more than 60 countries to help an estimated 40 50 million people. ECHO ensured the effective management of an overall budget of €538 million in accordance with ECHO's annual strategy for 2002. This was to intervene in areas of greatest humanitarian need, continue its support for forgotten crises and provide quality humanitarian aid by ensuring that relief, rehabilitation and development efforts are properly co-ordinated. Most of ECHO's work involves intervention in long term crises, such as those in Western Sahara and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a coherent strategy planned well in advance. ECHO was able to provide an appropriate response to new needs, such as the food crisis in Southern Africa. ECHO used additional money from the emergency reserve to help victims of this crisis, as well as to meet growing humanitarian needs in the Middle East. On the brighter side, improving peace and stability in the Balkans meant ECHO was able to wind up most of its operations.    Poul Nielson is the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.    Press conference - Brussels, 15 May 2003    I am pleased to have this opportunity to present 'ECHO 2002', the latest Annual Review of the Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office, which details the work of ECHO during 2002.    I hope you will take the time to read the Review. It is packed with information about ECHO's activities, including detailed figures on ECHO aid world-wide, witness accounts from the field and case studies on ECHO projects. As such, it tells the human story of the relief we provide to the most vulnerable victims of man-made or natural crises in the world beyond the bare facts and figures. But as I know journalists love facts and figures, let me tell you that in 2002, ECHO spent €538 million in over 60 countries in the world benefiting over 40 million people.    The Review also explains the strategy followed by ECHO. In 2002, ECHO intervened in the areas of greatest humanitarian need, continued its support for forgotten crises and provided quality humanitarian aid by ensuring that relief, rehabilitation and development efforts are properly co-ordinated. We also witnessed the continuing trend of crises being even more varied and complex, requiring the appropriate response to differing needs responses that require a wide variety of skills and knowledge and even greater professionalism.    What did change in 2002 was the geographical coverage of the humanitarian needs that were addressed. It is no longer the Western Balkans but Asia and Africa, with their now far greater number of refugees and displaced, which claim the lion's share of the money granted last year. I would also underline that this figure is again considerably higher than the sum allocated in the final Commission budget.    Although the media, in describing humanitarian needs, is today concentrating on the situation in Iraq, other areas, like Afghanistan and Chechnya, move in and out of the spotlight. There are also "forgotten crises" in areas rarely visited by the TV cameras. Angola, Sudan, Northern Uganda, Western Sahara and Sri Lanka are places where ECHO is providing professional quality assistance to those in greatest need, irrespective of politics, race or religion.    I just mentioned quality humanitarian aid. Quality humanitarian aid is professional, flexible and requires appropriate planning. I would also say that quality humanitarian aid is needs based - NOT demand or media driven. The victims of crises are powerless and their needs do not constitute a "market". Another feature of quality humanitarian aid is that it tries to achieve some kind of sustainability by aiming at a hand-over to longer-term development instruments. The closure of an ECHO office is consequently a cause for celebration, as was the case in 2002 in several countries in the Balkans. ECHO had managed massive aid programmes in the region at the height of the Balkan wars, but peace paves the way for reconstruction, and our humanitarian mission can leave with the satisfaction of a job well done. Such implementation of a policy of LRRD linking relief, rehabilitation and development is also marked in Sierra Leone and in Angola, where ECHO's provision of humanitarian aid is part of an integrated EC Action plan to tackle the humanitarian crises and the initial resettlement process.    Last week I had the privilege to go to Iraq to signal our continuing humanitarian support and solidarity with the Iraqi people and to see for myself some of ECHO's activities in Baghdad. I am pleased to announce to you that a new ECHO office in Baghdad will be operational by the end of the month.    As you know, ECHO has actively helped the people of Iraq for more than ten years, long before this most recent crisis erupted. In fact, since 1992 ECHO has spent €157 million in humanitarian aid in mainly health and sanitation. This programme which was complementary to the oil for food-programme made ECHO the largest humanitarian donor in the country.    Following the outbreak of the war, €100 million has been secured for humanitarian needs.    ECHO's response to the 2003 war and its humanitarian consequences is a prime example of the way in which ECHO works. After the conflict erupted, we gave immediate support to the victims through the International Committee of the Red Cross. The decision to grant the first €3 million was taken on 21 March and the contract was signed by ECHO and sent out to ICRC on the same day. This illustrates that ECHO's emergency funding procedure is working exactly as it should - a fast, efficient and quality response to sudden crises.    During my mission, I found that Iraq is not in an immediate humanitarian crisis. The scenario there is not like the ones we are used to seeing in Africa. Firstly, the context is mainly urban. Secondly, there is no real food shortage but there are obvious humanitarian needs mainly in the sectors of health, water and sanitation. However, what we are doing now in Iraq is actually humanitarian aid, even it might sometimes look like rehabilitation.    The biggest problem now is security and it is crucial for the occupying power to guarantee this. If "anarchy" continues and Iraqi institutions and public services are not reactivated and put back in charge, there is a real risk for a severe humanitarian crisis to develop. We have already information from Basra reporting an increasing number of cholera cases due to lack of safe drinking water.    Here, I would like to reiterate a message I have conveyed at numerous occasions lately; namely the importance of upholding the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law - humanity, impartiality and independence of action - and the necessity of a clear separation between military and humanitarian action.    The aim of ECHO's aid in Iraq and elsewhere is to prevent or relieve human suffering. It is accorded to victims without discrimination and is never subject to political considerations. The Iraq crisis is highly charged with political and military considerations. But humanitarian aid, by its nature, should never be used for political purposes and must therefore be kept separate from the military as far as possible. This does not exclude, however, that in difficult situations the military and the humanitarian side have to work side by side BUT each doing their task.    The UN has revised the so-called Oslo-guidelines defining these tasks. There will be a joint EC-UN launching event of these guidelines in Brussels on 26 June with Kenzo Oshima, of UNOCHA.    There is a dangerous reality behind this principle; our partners in the field are working in very difficult conditions. If they are ever perceived to be party to any side in a conflict, their lives will be put at risk. In 2002 several aid workers were killed while carrying out their duties, prompting their organisations to pull out of the area concerned. ECHO is deeply concerned by these developments, and we always strive to improve the security of our partners and our employees in the field.    Another region where I am also very concerned about access is Israel and the Palestinian Territories where restrictions have recently been placed on the movements and operations of aid organisations. There is a growing humanitarian crisis in the Territories caused by a serious economic breakdown. The provision of food, medicines, health care and safe drinking water to the most vulnerable Palestinians are essential. I repeat once again my call to the Israeli authorities to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided under acceptable conditions and guarantees.    ECHO responded to the emerging crisis in Southern Africa in 2002 with substantial humanitarian assistance, recognising the need to act quickly to prevent an already difficult situation turning into a major catastrophe. ECHO's humanitarian support was mobilised as part of a wider co-ordinated Commission effort that included essential food aid. Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia are particularly affected by the drought which, combined with the crippling effects of AIDS and inappropriate food policies, raised the spectre of widespread famine. ECHO's €16 million programme in Zimbabwe became one of the largest in Africa in less than a year. The country's humanitarian situation has been compounded by poor economic policies, deep-seated political tensions and the world's highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, which kills more than 2,500 Zimbabweans each week. In such a context, our partners are doing their best to maintain humanitarian principles such as neutrality and the needs-based approach, under very difficult circumstances.    This crisis is likely to occupy both ECHO and other Commission services, together with other donor countries and bodies, for a long time to come. However, for the forgotten crises already mentioned, of which only some flare up from time to time, the Commission is often the only substantial donor.    Much of the credit for the success of EC-funded humanitarian interventions must go to our partners. ECHO's working relationship with its operational partners, be it NGOs, United Nations agencies, or organisations in the Red Cross 'family' has been constantly evolving through a strategic dialogue launched in 2001 and continued through regular meetings in 2002. These meetings address the wide-ranging challenges confronting humanitarian actors with an emphasis on identifying ways of improving the quality of our assistance. Two weeks ago, I was in New York, where I signed a new agreement with the United Nations which will provide the framework for our contractual relations in carrying out humanitarian aid with UN partners. We are also on the point of finalising new Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA) with NGOs on the one hand and international organisations like the ICRC or IFRC on the other. We will soon have a renewed and revitalised comprehensive package of agreements regulating contractual relations with all our partners.    Humanitarian aid provided by the fifteen EU Member States and the European Commission combined makes the EU the largest donor in the world. Externally, this helps the EU spearhead and influence the international humanitarian response. Internally it promotes positive synergies and co-ordination. In short, it is a system that works. I think there is a lot to be said for the maxim "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".    In the ongoing debate about Europe's future, some protagonists would prefer to attach humanitarian aid to an all-encompassing common foreign and security policy machine. This would be a mistake, a serious mistake. EU humanitarian aid would risk losing its impartial nature and become a tool for wider policy objectives and hidden agendas.    In the future European constitution, humanitarian aid deserves and needs a legal basis of its own founded on the principle of impartiality. Of course, as humanitarian actors we cannot tackle the root of the problem. But by showing solidarity with the victims of crises, we can demonstrate another positive side of the European Union and help create a favourable environment for global peace and security.    EU Member States decided to set up the Humanitarian Aid Office in 1992 to help improve the efficiency and global reach of European solidarity. I am convinced that ECHO is doing an exceptionally good job and deserves its reputation as one of the flagships of the Commission. Our humanitarian assistance is considered a success of EU external relations, not only within Europe, but also by the international community as a whole. A common approach to humanitarian aid has undoubtedly increased the efficiency, impact and coherence of the EU's overall humanitarian response. Visit the related web page
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