The last ten years represent one of the worst decades ever in terms of attacks on humanitarian workers and lack of humanitarian access. Across the world, courageous humanitarian workers struggle every day to reach civilians in armed conflicts as well as those affected by the numerous natural disasters that occur each year. In many of these desperate situations the provision of life-saving relief by UN agencies, the Red Cross movement and NGOs such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and others is often the only tangible expression of support for those who require the help and solidarity of the international community.
The Government firmly believes that more must be done to break the vicious cycle in which humanitarians are attacked and their vital work undermined in breach of international humanitarian law. In too many instances the work of humanitarians is undermined by those who control access to those in need through harassment or violence.
Ireland remains firmly attached to the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence and our own humanitarian relief policy remains predicated on a strong commitment to provide principled, flexible and timely funding to organisations which deliver effective humanitarian assistance in response to clear and identified needs on the ground. We very much recognise the importance of protecting the so-called “humanitarian space”, and know from experience that those agencies which are perceived as impartial to a conflict are invariably best placed to deliver aid to those who need it most.
Against this backdrop, both the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid provide donors such as Ireland with a robust set of humanitarian commitments that are intended to ensure an appropriate, principled and effective aid response. From a national perspective, Ireland is strongly attached to the Consensus (and to the Action Plan which serves as a practical complement to it) and looks forward to championing the principles involved during our Presidency of the EU during the first half of this year.
Of course, Irish-based aid agencies have not been immune to the difficulties and challenges referred to by the Deputy, operating as they do in some of the most volatile and insecure environments in the world. Indeed, each day, countless numbers of courageous Irish, international and local staff members from these organisations struggle to reach civilians affected by conflict or natural disaster right across the globe. Given the political complexity of many of the world’s most serious ongoing humanitarian crises – such as in Mali, Syria, the DRC, Somalia and Afghanistan. – it is unfortunately unlikely that the difficult situation faced by humanitarian organisations will be substantially improved in the coming year.
The Government strongly supports and promotes the efforts taken by many of these organisations to develop solid security management plans and to employ dedicated security professionals to help train for and respond to security incidents. We are also continuing to work with the members and observers of the Dóchas Humanitarian Aid Working Group to develop a series of overarching professional standards for Irish aid organisations with respect to safety and security issues.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the many thousands of aid workers around the globe who are striving to save lives and to deliver humanitarian help to those who need it most, often under the most exceptional of circumstances. Their work, often overlooked and taken at great personal risk, is simply heroic.
