a critical year for humanitarianism

8/20/2019 A Critical Year for Humanitarianism

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1 Center for American Progress | A Critical Year for Humanitarianism

A Critical Year for Humanitarianism

By John Norris and Carolyn Kenney February 9, 2016

Introduction

2015 was a remarkable year or inernaional diplomacy and mulilaeralism, culmi-

naing in wo major compacs on climae change and he global developmen agenda:

Te Paris agreemen on climae and he U.N. Susainable Developmen Goals. In

2016, inernaional effors wil l ocus on an area ha will likely prove even more con-enious and where he inernaional sysem is raying badly under he weigh o cur-

ren crises: he sysem o providing humaniarian relie around he globe in response

o boh man-made and naural disasers.

Troughou 2016, world leaders and oher inernaional acors are se o paricipae

in a number o high-level meeings and discussions o assess he sae o humaniarian

assisance. Teir effors will seek o improve he delivery o aid and address myriad

underlying issues, ranging rom how bes o proec civilians in war zones o he effec

o climae change on orced migraion.

Te global scope o orced migraion has already risen o severe levels, wih mos

orecass suggesing ha he wors is ye o come. According o U.N. esimaes, some

60 million people are now orcibly displaced, eiher as reugees, inernally displaced

persons, or asylum seekers.1 Tis is he highes level o orced migraion he inerna-

ional communiy has aced since World War II, and he rae o displacemen does no

appear o be waning.2

Tis issue brie spells ou he imeline o major upcoming evens relaed o he

humaniarian agenda in 2016 and discusses he scope o he major challenges he

inernaional communiy aces, including a lack o resources, repeaed paterns o

deliberae atacks on civilians, and a caseload ha coninues o expand rapidly. I also

explores some o he issues ha will likely prove mos difficul o resolve given he

curren approach o reorm, in which major srucural changesparicularly o he

U.N. sysem ha helps deliver humaniarian aidare largely off he able. Despie

he enormous difficulies ahead, growing he number o acors involved in addressing

humaniarian crises is he likely pah o success.


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February 4, 2016: Syria Donor Conference, London

Te Unied Kingdom, Norway, Kuwai, Germany, and he Unied Naions co-hosed

his even, which aimed o raise significan new unding o address he dire humaniarian

siuaion spawned by he sill burning conflic in Syria, which has lef more han 250,000

dead and more han 1 million wounded.3 Tis meeing was also designed o help build

momenum oward he oher humaniarian gaherings aking place laer in he year. 4

A he close o he conerence, U.K. Prime Miniser David Cameron announced ha

paricipans had raised roughly $11 billion o aid Syrianshe larges sum ever raised or a

humaniarian crisis in a single day.5 While his is encouraging, hese sums need o be aken

wih a cerain grain o sal. O hese pledges, $6 billion was or 2016, while $5 billion was

slaed o be delivered by 2020a long way off in humaniarian erms. In addiion, hisory

has shown ha commimens a such pledging conerences ofen ail o ully maerialize.6

Timeline of upcoming major events

The following events are the most significant major international gatherings

and commemorations related to humanitarianism slated for 2016:

FEB

4

APR

15-17

MAY

23-24

JUNE

20

AUG

19

SEPT

19

SEPT

TBD

February 4, 2016: Syria Donor Conference, London

April 15–17, 2016: World Bank Group and International

Monetary Fund Spring Meetings, Washington, D.C.

May 23–24, 2016: World Humanitarian Summit, Istanbul

June 20, 2016: World Refugee Day

August 19, 2016: World Humanitarian Day

September 19, 2016: U.N. high-level plenary Summit on

Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants, New York

September, 2016, exact date and name to be determined:

President Barack Obama hosts a global refugees summit, New York


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Funding or he Syria crisis coninues o lag well behind he level o need: Te Unied

Naions currenly esimaes ha some 13.5 million Syrians require humaniarian

assisance.7 Massive numbers o Syrians have been driven rom heir homes since 2011,

resuling in more han 6.6 million inernally displaced Syrians and 4.3 million reu-

gees.8 Tere are also repors o increasing numbers o displaced Syrians rapped in a no

man’s land near Jordan, unable o cross he border.9 Ahead o he donor conerence, he

Unied Naions issued a unding appeal o is member saes or a oal o $7.7 billionor he Syrian crisis in 201610despie he ac ha donors only me 56 percen o he

2015 U.N. appeal or $7.2 billion.11 I delivered in ull, he $6 billion pledged in London

would obviously pu he U.N. appeal or Syria well on he way o being me his year.

Under he guidance o he Unied Naionsand disinc rom he aoremenioned

donor conerencea new round o peace alks beween he warring paries in Syria

began on February 1, 2016 in Geneva.12 Tis ollows he unanimous adopion o U.N.

Securiy Council Resoluion 2254 on December 18, 2015, which oulined a roadmap

or a U.N.-aciliaed peace process beween he Syrian governmen and he opposiion.

Te resoluion also called or he esablishmen o a “credible, inclusive and non-secar-ian” governmen wihin six monhs, a schedule or drafing a new consiuion, and he

conduc o ree and air elecions wihin 18 monhs.13

However, only wo days afer he sar o his new round o peace alks, he Unied

Naions suspended urher alks unil February 25. U.N. Special Envoy or Syria Saffan

de Misura remained somewha opimisic, saing ha he alks had no ailed and

insising ha boh sides “are ineresed in having a poliical process” o end he conflic.14

Given he siuaion on he ground, however, opimism ha an ambiious peace agenda

can be realized in he shor erm is undersandably mued.

Te cenral challenge coming ou o he London conerencelike many donor

conerencesis o ranslae lofy pledges o assisance and acion ino realiy. I

was hoped ha he conerence would build some posiive momenum or laer and

broader discussions on how he inernaional communiy delivers humaniarian aid

no jus in Syria bu also around he globe. However, he rocky sar o he peace alks

makes clear ha will be no easy ask.

April 15–17, 2016: World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring

Meetings, Washington, D.C.

Each spring, he join World Bank-Inernaional Moneary Fund, or IMF, Developmen

Commitee and he IMF’s Inernaional Moneary and Financial Commitee mee o

discuss he progress o boh organizaions’ work. Addiionally, during his ime, boh

groups hos seminars, regional briefings, press conerences, and oher evens ocused on

inernaional developmen and he global economy. Tis year’s spring meeings will be

held April 15 o 17 in Washingon, D.C.15


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Represenaives rom governmens, media, civil sociey, academia, and he privae secor

are invied o atend hese meeings. Likely opics or his year’s meeings will include

discussions on he curren reugee crisis; he need o make developmen a prioriy in

ragile conexs; he newly deailed susainable developmen goals agreed upon by U.N.

member saes in Sepember 2015; and climae changeamong oher issues.

While humaniarian issues were no prominenly eaured on he official agendas orhe 2016 meeings as hey were being prepared, i is clear ha here needs o be a beter

response o he increasingly large gap in humaniarian unding, and inernaional financial

insiuions need o be more adep a dealing wih humaniarian needs. Tis so-called

donor gap is a recurring issue ha has become more severe over recen years. Te Unied

Naions regularly issues esimaes oand orhe unding i will require o mee

pressing humaniarian concerns around he globe. Te donor gapwhich reers o he

shorall beween he U.N. reques and he response rom donorshas long been presen.

However, i has become much more pronounced in recen years. In 2005, here was $2 bil-

lion in unme U.N. coordinaed appealsby 2014, ha figure had risen o $7.5 billion.16

A U.N. High-Level Panel on Humaniarian Financing recenly recommended ha mid-

dle-income counries be given access o low-ineres loans and grans, bilaeral donors,

and inernaional financial insiuions in order o help hem hos reugees. Te panel

also urged ha donors be more flexible wih finance, including hrough he use o cash

in humaniarian setings.17 Te World Bank and IMFno known as he mos nimble o

insiuionswill be challenged a he spring meeings o see i hey can keep apace o

he growing global humaniarian problem.

May 23–24, 2016: World Humanitarian Summit, Istanbul

One o he mos imporan meeings his year will be he firs-ever U.N. World

Humaniarian Summiheld May 23 o 24 in Isanbul, urkey. Recognizing he

urgen need o ake collecive sock o he humaniarian aid sysem and o creae beter

dialogue among he main acors in his sysem, U.N. Secreary-General Ban Ki-moon

firs raised he idea o holding he summi in 2012.18 He hen officially announced he

summi during he U.N. General Assembly meeings in Sepember 2013, where roughly

90 member saes, civil-sociey organizaions, and privae-secor acors pledged heir

official suppor or he summi.19

Te choice o Isanbul or he summi’s locaion is fiting and discomoring in equal

measure. Few counries have been home o more reugees in recen years: urkey cur-

renly hoss more han 800,000 reugees and is criically concerned wih he conflic

in Syria.20 urkey’s willingness o accep reugeesand is suppor or hemhas

been widely lauded.21 A he same ime, urkey’s governmenled by Presiden Recep

ayyip Erdoğanhas been ar rom he model o enlighened humaniarianism and


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respec or human righs ha he summi’s planners are so eager o promoe. Erdoğan’s

governmen has repeaedly cracked down on civil liberies over he pas several years,

and i has been drawn ino dangerous brinkmanship wih Syria, Russia, he Islamic Sae

o Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and even radiional allies such as he Unied Saes and he

European Union over he conflic in Syria. In addiion, urkey has aced a number o

erroris atacks over he pas year, and securiy arrangemens or he summi will obvi-

ously be an area o concern.

Undersanding he poenialand poenial limiaionso he summi requires under-

sanding he specific naure o is esablishmen wihin he U.N. sysem. Te idea o hold

he summi was advanced by he secreary-general, and he U.N. sysem has commi-

ed exensive resources in seeking public and member-sae inpu ino he summi and

is preparaions. Ye, he summiunlike he processes ha produced boh he Paris

climae agreemen and a new se o global developmen goalsis no an inergovern-

menal one. In simpler erms, he World Humaniarian Summi is a conversaion hosed

by he secreary-general ha deeply involves U.N. member saes, as well as civil sociey,

mulilaeral organizaions, nongovernmen organizaions, or NGOs, he privae secor,and affeced individuals and communiies. However, i is no a ormal negoiaing pro-

cess beween U.N. member saes.22 As such, here is no ormal mechanism or member

saes o agree o any recommendaions ha he summi may produce; such agreemens

would have o be finalized or urher negoiaed in a differen seting.

Te ac ha he secreary-general and U.N. agencies have largely driven he sum-

mi also signals ha more proound effors o reorm he U.N. sysem ha delivers

humaniarian assisance are no on he curren agenda. In urn, his may spark some

rusraion and resenmen rom member saes ha eel he U.N. sysem would ben-

efi rom considerable revamping and ha significan efficiencies could be discoveredhrough a sharper inernal review.

Humaniarian crises in general have become increasingly dire since he summi was

conceived. A he ime o he summi’s official announcemen in 2013, he U.N. High

Commissioner or Reugees, or UNHCR, repored ha here were roughly 51.2 million

individuals orcibly displaced worldwidean esimaed 10.7 million o whom were

newly displaced in 2013.23 Wih global orced displacemen now including more han

60 million peoplewih a leas 5 million people newly displaced in jus he firs hal o

2015he caseload has increased by more han 17 percen in ewer han hree years.24

In he lead-up o Isanbul, he summi secrearia conduced an exensive consulaion

process involving discussions wih more han 23,000 people in 151 counries, which

included represenaives rom member saes, mulilaeral organizaions, NGOs, civi l

sociey organizaions, he privae secor, and affeced individuals and communiies.25 As

a resul o he consulaion process, he summi secrearia released a number o regional


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and opical repors ha culminaed in a synhesis repor highlighing major findings and

key acion areas o inorm he summi.26 Te U.N. secreary-general will urher explore

hese findings and inorm he summi’s agenda and his pos-summi vision wih he

release o his own repor in early 2016.27

Organizers have idenified several key humaniarian concerns o address hroughou

he summi. Tese include he proecion o civilians in conflic setings; buildingresilience o man-made and naural disasers; promoing more diverse parnerships in

humaniarian relie; and developing new and more varied unding sources o expand

suppor o local organizaions and mee he curren levels o need.28 While he World

Humaniarian Summi comes a a very imporan momen, division, high-profile inci-

dens, proess, or a general lack o consensus could all imperil meaningul progress.

June 20, 2016: World Refugee Day

In December 2000, in preparaion or he 50h anniversary o he 1951 U.N.Convenion relaing o he Saus o Reugees, he Unied Naions designaed June 20 as

World Reugee Day. Tis day coincides wih he Organisaion o Arican Uniy’s Arica

Reugee Day 29 and will provide an opporuniy o highligh he pligh o reugees and

raise unds o suppor reugees.

August 19, 2016: World Humanitarian Day

In December 2008, he Unied Naions designaed Augus 19 as World Humaniarian

Day o boh honor all personnel who have worked o promoe humaniarianism ando increase awareness abou humaniarian assisance worldwide.30 Like World Reugee

Day, his commemoraion offers a useul rallying poin o raise awareness, unds, and

o advocae or reorms.

September 19, 2016: U.N. high-level plenary Summit on Addressing Large

Movements of Refugees and Migrants, New York

During a U.N. General Assembly session in November 2015, Secreary-General Ban

Ki-moon proposed holding a summi on reugees and migrans during he 71s ses-

sion o he U.N. General Assembly in he all o 2016.Te secreary-general was asked

o prepare a repor and recommendaions o rame he discussions by May 2016.31

Te High-Level Summi on Addressing Large Movemens o Reugees and Migrans

is scheduled or Sepember 19, direcly beore he opening session o he 72nd U.N.

General Assembly. Secreary-General Ban Ki-moon has appoined Karen AbuZayd

o he Unied Saes o ac as special adviser or he summi and asked her wih


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underaking consulaions wih member saes and oher sakeholders ahead o he

summi, as well as wih overseeing he secreary-general’s May repor on he issue. 32

Tese announcemens ollow he appoinmen o Filippo Grandi as he new head o

UNHCR on January 1, 2016.33

In heory, his session could be used o cemen areas o agreemen reached by U.N.

member saes and U.N. agencies over he course o he year, paricularly hoseadvanced hrough he World Humaniarian Summi; hose conained in he secreary-

general’s own repor o be released in May 2016; and hose orwarded by he High-Level

Panel on Humaniarian Financing. However, key member saes may wan o direcly

negoiae more ar-reaching agreemens or sweeping reormsand such a process could

require addiional ime or a more radiional inergovernmenal negoiaion.

September, 2016, exact date and name to be determined: President Barack

Obama hosts a global refugees summit, New York

In lae December 2015, Samanha Power, he U.S. ambassador o he Unied Naions,

announced ha Presiden Barack Obama would hos a leader-level global reugees sum-

mi on he sidelines o he U.N. General Assembly meeings in Sepember 2016.34 In

conversaions wih German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Presiden Obama saed ha his

summi would provide an opporuniy or world leaders o make concree commimens

“o expand opporuniies or reugees worldwide and suppor o ronline saes.” 35

During a keynoe speech a he World Economic Forum in Davos, Swizerland, in

January 2016, U.S. Secreary o Sae John Kerry discussed his hopes or he year’s

humaniarian agenda, including a global 30 percen increase in he unding o heUnied Naion’s humaniarian appeals.36 He also called or a leas 10 addiional coun-

ries around he globe o become regular humaniarian donors; 10 more counries o

admi reugees; a doubling o he number o reugees resetled; he enrollmen o 1

million reugees in school; an increase in he number o reugees legally allowed o work

by 1 million; and increased involvemen o he privae secor, civil sociey, and religious

organizaions in he reugee inegraion process.37

Te orma o Presiden Obama’s global reugees summi will be similar o las year’s

Leaders’ Summi on U.N. Peacekeeping Operaionsalso hosed by Presiden Obama

which brough ogeher more han 50 heads o sae and oher governmen officials o

make new commimens and conribuions o srenghen U.N. peacekeeping operaions.38

As a resul o he peacekeeping summi, counry pledges amouned o more han 40,000

roops and police; 40 helicopers; 22 engineering companies; 11 naval and riverine unis;

and 13 field hospials.39 Te orma is essenially a pay-o-play effor, wih only counries

and agencies ha are willing o pu new resources on he able able o atend. As o now, i

is unclear how civil sociey and he privae secor migh be engaged in his reugee summi.


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Fundamental challenges

Te las U.N. cornersone agreemen on humaniarianism and he managemen o he

global humaniarian sysem came in 1991 under U.N. General Assembly Resoluion

46/182.40 Obviously, much has changed since ha ime, and he curren humaniarian

sysem is badly oversreched and under-resourceda condiion highlighed by he

ac ha he Unied Naion’s 2015 $19.3 billion unding appeal or global humaniarianresponses was only 54 percen ulfilled.41 Te Unied Naion’s 2016 appeal has reached

$20.1 billion42he larges o dae and a nearly 950 percen increase rom is $1.92

billion appeal in 2000.43

A number o humaniarian challenges will be criical o address over he course o 2016,

and all o hem remain incredibly horny.

Civilian protection

Humaniarians, human righs groups, and global civil sociey all see he WorldHumaniarian Summi and oher orums hroughou he year as a momen or he world o

recommi o he righs o unarmed civilians caugh up in he world’s batlefields. Grueling

conflics in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and elsewhere have all oo ofen eaured he deliberae use

o indiscriminae violence agains civilians by boh governmens and insurgen groups.

In Ukraine, or example, here has been “indiscriminae shelling o residenial areas” in

regions conrolled by boh governmen and ani-governmen orces.44 In Souh Sudan,

80 civilians57 o whom were childrenwere killed in Leer Couny in Uniy Sae

alone rom Ocober 4 o 22, 2015.45 And here has been indiscriminae killing o civil-

ians by boh sides in Syria, as well as he inenional blockage o humaniarian aidmos recenly brough o inernaional atenion by he case o he besieged own o

Madaya, where here have been widespread repors o malnourishmen and sarvaion.46

U.N. Secreary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned he blocking o aid in Syria, sa-

ing ha he “use o ood as a weapon o war is a war crime” and ha “all sides, including

he Syrian governmen, which has he primary responsibiliy o proec Syrians, are

commiting arocious acs prohibied under inernaional humaniarian law.”47

However, geting U.N. member saes o agree on addiional seps oward civilian

proecion will be enormously difficul. Te U.N. Securiy Council and key member

saes, such as he Unied Saes, remain deeply averse o counering violaions o

inernaional humaniarian law in places such as Syria hrough effecive inervenion

on he ground. Insurgen groups, such as ISIS, seem o be in a cones o employ he

mos brual acics in an effor o atrac he mos exremis ollowers. And in Europe,

here is a righ-wing backlash agains acceping reugees: Prime Miniser Lars Løkke

Rasmussen o Denmark recenly suggesed ha key pars o 1951 U.N. Reugee

Convenion should be rolled back.48 Furhermore, he use o drone srikes and oher

counererrorism acics ui lized by member saes o comba exremism have ye o

be effecively reconciled w ih inernaional humaniarian law.


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Te end resul: Demand or greaer civilian proecion will be a crucial heme hrough-

ou he year, bu accepable acion on his ron would require a much more orceul

and likely risk filledcommimen rom U.N. Securiy Council members.

The costs of chaos

Funding concerns are very much on he minds o policymakers and he humaniarian

communiy, and hey will eaure prominenly in discussions hroughou 2016. Te

unding problem, however, may be even worse han mos people realize. Te ac ha

governmens, such as Sweden and Norway, are considering divering unds rom heir

inernaional aid budges o pay or domesic reugee and asylum programs compounds

he issue o gaps in inernaional donor unding. More specifically, Sweden is consider-

ing cuting is roughly $5 billion inernaional aid budge by 60 percen, while Norway is

considering a 21 percen cu o is $4.8 billion budge.49

Troughou he inernaional sysem, he mouning cos o dealing wih humaniariancrises will exer more and more pressure on radiional long-erm developmen projecs

and budges. In he Unied Saes, or example, Congress has radiionally provided

supplemenal unding when here was an exraordinary surge in humaniarian need.

Ye almos no one expecs he curren Congress o approve supplemenal humaniarian

unding, and his will surely resul in an increasingly serious squeeze on inernaional

developmen budges over ime.

Robbing long-erm developmen programs o pay or shor-erm humaniarian ones

will also make one o he core hemes o he World Humaniarian Summiconflic

prevenionall he more difficul o achieve. Conflic prevenion effors ofen requiresable, commited unding o counries, siuaions, and insiuion building ha are

no in he headlines. Tese are exacly he kinds o programs ha will be squeezed

mos heavily by he need o provide more immediae liesaving humaniarian assis-

ance. Escaping his vicious cycle will require boh bringing new donors and new

sources o finance o he able, as well as ending he major conflics ha are currenly

driving such a large percenage o displacemen around he globe. Mos expers agree

ha developmen and humaniarian programs need o work in beter concerbu

ha is ofen easier said han done.50

In addiion, one o he key hemes in he run-up o he World Humaniarian Summi,

paricularly as expressed by he High-Level Panel on Humaniarian Financing, has been

he idea o a “grand bargain.”51 Under his grand bargain, he humaniarian communiy

would raise more money bu also commi o using i more effecively by relying more

heavily on cash paymens o local, on-he-ground organizaions in affeced counries.

Local parners have been under-appreciaed asses in humaniarian relie or some

imeand increasing heir role and voice is praiseworhy.


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However, here will be real challenges in operaionalizing an approach where major

donors make heir spending more flexible, ransparen, and efficien. As he U.S. Agency

or Inernaional Developmen, or USAID, has come o realize as i has ried o direc a

greaer proporion o is radiional developmen programs hrough local governmens

and NGOs, such an approach is acually more labor inensive in he shor erm. Tis is

because local organizaions ofen require significan capaciy-building suppor in order

o help hem comply wih donor regulaions and manage unds effecively and ranspar-enly.52 Wih he curren sysem so badly sreched, i will be difficul or all paries o

find he ime and bandwidh hey need o effecively parner wih local organizaions i

hey wish o bring he grand bargain o ruiion. Invesing in capaciy building is difficul

when lives need o be saved in he very immediae erm.

Structural reforms are difficult

Major srucural reorms o he inernaional sysem are difficul even during he bes

o imes, ofen requiring lenghy negoiaions, exensive bureaucraic infighing, andconsiderable preparaory groundwork. Few would argue ha he curren inernaional

sysem o humaniarianism would no benefi rom well-hough-ou improvemens o

is oundaional archiecure. However, such reorms will be very difficul o secure in

he curren environmen. Te curren U.N. secreary-general will finish his erm a he

end o 2016, and here is nohing o sugges ha he wishes o ackle a major bureaucraic

reorm process his lae in his agenda. Indeed, here is very litle in he maerials released

by he Unied Naions in advance o he World Humaniarian Summi ha suggess i

considers ransorming is own bureaucracy a major elemen o his year’s deliberaions.

Perhaps he bes ha can be hoped or is ha member saes and civil sociey can suc-cessully maneuver o ge hese issues sufficienly on he inernaional agenda so ha

hey could be aced upon early in he erm o he nex secreary-general.

Syria, Europe, and climate change

Tere is a considerable risk ha much o he deliberaion on he humaniarian sysem in

2016 will be dominaed by he siuaion in Syria, as well as Europe’s reacion o reugees

reaching is borders. Syria and he European reugee siuaion are indeed serious, bu

hey are only pieces o he curren crisis acing humaniarianism and orcibly displaced

people around he globe.

Tere are major displacemen issues in Aghanisan, Iraq, Sudan, Souh Sudan,

Colombia, Ehiopia, Somalia, Myanmar, Erirea, Pakisan, Ukraine, Libya, Burundi, he

Democraic Republic o he Congo, he Cenral Arican Republic, and numerous oher

counries. Syria and reugees are an imporan par o he humaniarian puzzlebu


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hey are only a par. And beyond reugees and he displaced, here are oher major

humaniarian crises o deal wihrom he Zika virus o Ebola and beyond.53 I is also

worh noing ha naural disasersrom an earhquake in Haii o he Asian su-

namihave aken very large deah olls in recen years.54

In addiion, he synhesis repor on consulaions or he World Humaniarian Summi

noes ha climae changeno conflicmay be an even more proound problem ac-ing humaniarian effors. Te repor noes ha by 2050, beween 25 million and 1 bil-

lion people may be permanenly or emporarily displaced as a resul o climae change,

wih up o 40 percen o he global populaion acing waer scarciy.55 Te range o he

U.N. displacemen esimae is obviously enormous and o limied pracical planning

purposes. Bu i is elling ha even he mos opimisic scenario would add more han

40 percen o he global caseload o displacemen.

A process ha includes he voices o he global souh in deermining how bes o

promoe resilience, readiness, and preparedness would be beter suied o he diverse

challenges acing humaniarianism. Indeed, he global souh is he mos vulnerable oclimae change and likely o disproporionaely eel is effecs despie having had litle

o do wih is causes, making i all he more vial o help develop heir capaciies in areas

such as early warning and miigaion.56


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Conclusion

Humaniarian effors in 2016 will ace enormous challenges, and i would be easy o

be pessimisic abou he prospecs or humaniarianism. Yeime and ime again

humaniarian workers, aid agencies, and concerned ciizens have risen up o mee he

challenge o helping people a heir mos desperae and have worked ogeher o rebuild

shatered lives and communiies.

Perhaps he greaes opporuniy o sufficienly mee curren demands or relie and

srenghen he overall sysem or delivering i in 2016 comes rom growing he com-

muniy o humaniarians. Given he scope o crises now acing he world, humaniar-

ian issues can no longer simply be delegaed o a devoed core o humaniarians as a

caseload o be managed. No only do donors and governmens need o ulfill heir

exising aid commimens, bu new acors mus also be brough o he able wih new

ideas, resources, and energy. Te privae secor helped provide more han $1.6 billion

in humaniarian unding beween 2009 and 2013he resul o engagemen rom a

relaively modes number o companies.57

Te privae secor; governmens and ciizenso he global souh; radiional developmen expers; scieniss; and ohers need o find

common ground i 2016 is going o be remembered as a year o acion on humaniarian-

ism raher han anoher year o business as usual.

John Norris is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Security and Peacebuilding Initiative

at the Center for American Progress. Carolyn Kenney is a Research Associate with the

National Security and International Policy team at the Center.


13/14


Endnotes

1 UNHCR, “UNHCR Report Confirms Worldwide Rise in ForcedDisplacement in First Half 2015,” Press release, December 18,2015, available at http://www.unhcr.org/5672c98c34.html.So-called internally displaced are distinct from refugees inthat they have not crossed an international border and havebeen forced to migrate within their country of origin.

2 Lydia DePillis, Kulwant Saluja, and Denise Lu, “A Visual Guide

to 75 Years of Major Refugee Crises around the World,”TheWashington Post , December 21, 2015, available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/historical-migrant-crisis/.

3 U.N. OCHA, “Syrian Arab Republic,” available at http://www.unocha.org/syria (last accessed February 2016).

4 Gov.UK, “Syria Donors Conference 2016: Joint Announce-ment,” Press release, November 16, 2015, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/syria-donors-conference-2016-joint-announcement.

5 Estelle Shirbon and Kylie Maclellan, “Billions Pledged forSyria as Tens of Thousands Flee Bombardments,” Reuters,February 4, 2016, available at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-donors-idUSKCN0VD00N.

6 Sean Anderson, “Syrian humanitarian aid: which countriesgive what?”, The Guardian, September 6, 2013, available

at http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interac-tive/2013/sep/06/syria-aid-who-gives-how-much.

7 U.N. OCHA, “Syrian Arab Republic.”

8 Ibid.

9 John Reed, “Syrian Refugees Stranded as Jordan BlocksEntry,” Financial Times, January 18, 2016, available at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/30f22d4a-baa0-11e5-b151-8e15c9a029fb.html#axzz3xtnV0avT.

10 U.N. OCHA Financial Tracking Services, “Total Funding tothe Syrian Crisis 2016,” available at https://fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=special-syriancrisis&year=2016 (lastaccessed February 2016).

11 U.N. OCHA Financial Tracking Services, “Total Funding tothe Syrian Crisis 2015,” available at https://fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=special-syriancrisis&year=2015 (last

accessed February 2016).

12 Nick Cumming-Bruce, “U.N. Envoy for Syria Says Peace TalksWill Begin Friday,” The New York Times, January 25, 2016,available at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/world/middleeast/un-envoy-for-syria-says-peace-talks-will-begin-friday.html?_r=0.

13 U.N. Security Council, “Resolution 2254 (2015)” (2015),available at http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2254(2015).

14 BBC News, “Syria Conflict: UN Suspends Peace Talks in Ge-neva,” February 3, 2016, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35488073.

15 The International Monetary Fund, “2015 Spring Meetings,available at http://www.imf.org/external/spring/2015/ (lastaccessed February 2016).

16 Global Humanitarian Assistance, “Global Humanitarian

Assistance Report 2015” (2015), p. 22, available at http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/wp-content/up-loads/2015/06/GHA-Report-2015_-Interactive_Online.pdf .

17 World Humanitarian Summit, “High-Level Panel on Hu-manitarian Financing Report to the Secretary-General: TooImportant to Fail – Addressing the Humanitarian FinancingGap” (2016), available at https://www.worldhumanitarian-summit.org/whs_finance/hlphumanitarianfinancing.

18 U.N. OCHA, “UN General Assembly: Turkey Announced asHost of 2016 World Humanitarian Summit,” September26, 2013, available at http://www.unocha.org/top-stories/all-stories/un-general-assembly-turkey-announced-host-2016-world-humanitarian-summit.

19 Ibid.

20 UNHCR, “2015 UNHCR Country Operations Profile – Turkey,”available at http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e48e0fa7f.html (last accessed February 2016).

21 For example, see Middle East Monitor , “UN Refugee ChiefPraises Turkish Efforts Toward Syrians,” June 21, 2015,available at https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/europe/19354-un-refugee-chief-praises-turkish-efforts-toward-syrians; Kashmira Gander, “Pope Francis CondemnsIsis and Praises Turkey for Taking in 1.6M Refugees fromConflicts in Syria and I raq,” The Independent , November 28,2014, available at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-condemns-isis-and-praises-turkey-for-taking-in-16m-refugees-from-conflicts-in-syria-and-9890792.html.

22 World Humanitarian Summit, “About the WorldHumanitarian Summit,” available at https://www.worldhumanitariansummit.org/whs_about?utm_source=About&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=WHS_FrontPage&utm_content=Banner+Click (last accessed February 2016).

23 UNHCR, “UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2013” (2014), p. 6,available at http://www.unhcr.org/54cf9bd69.html.

24 UNHCR, “Mid-Year Trends 2015” (2015), p.3, available athttp://www.unhcr.org/56701b969.html.

25 Ibid., p. 3.

26 World Humanitarian Summit, “Restoring Humanity: GlobalVoices Calling for Action—Synthesis of the ConsultationProcess for the World Humanitarian Summit” (2015), avail-able at https://www.worldhumanitariansummit.org/bitcache/32aeda5fe90ceba891060ad51d0bd823da273cf9?vid=555986&disposition=inline&op=view.

27 World Humanitarian Summit, “About the World Humanitar-ian Summit.”

28 Ibid.

29 U.N. General Assembly, “55/76. Fiftieth anniversary of the Of-fice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesand World Refugee Day” (2000), available at http://www.

un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/55/76.

30 U.N. General Assembly, “63/139. Strengthening of thecoordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of theUnited Nations” (2008), available at http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/63/139.

31 IISD, “UN prepares for summit on refugees and migrants,”January 5, 2016, available at http://sd.iisd.org/news/un-prepares-for-summit-on-refugees-and-migrants/.

32 U.N. News Centre, “Ban Names Former UN HumanitarianOfficial as Special Adviser on 2016 Refugee and MigrantSummit,” January 5, 2016, available at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52944#.VpfIQfkrK70.

33 UNHCR, “Filippo Grandi Takes Helm as UN High Commis-sioner for Refugees,” January 4, 2016, available at http://www.unhcr.org/568a3dff6.html.

34 Julie Hirschfeld Davis, “Obama Plans Summit on Migrant

Crisis,” The New York Times, December 21, 2015, available athttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/world/middleeast/obama-plans-summit-on-migrant-crisis.html?_r=0.

35 The White House, “Readout of the President’s call with Chan-cellor Angela Merkel of Germany,” Press release, January21, 2016, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/21/readout-presidents-call-chancellor-angela-merkel-germany.

36 U.S. Department of State, “Remarks at the World EconomicForum,” January 22, 2016, available at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/01/251663.htm.

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37 U.S. Department of State, “Remarks at the World EconomicForum,” January 22, 2016, available at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/01/251663.htm.

38 United Nations, “World Leaders Recommit to Modernize120,000-Strong UN Peacekeeping Force,” U.N. News Centre,September 28, 2015, available at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52015#.Vqd7iunwObA.

39 United Nations Peacekeeping, “Leaders’ Summit 2015,” avail-able at http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/leadersummit.html (last accessed February 2016).

40 U.N. General Assembly, “Strengthening of the coordina-tion of humanitarian emergency assistance of the UnitedNations,” available at http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/46/a46r182.htm (last accessed February 2016).

41 U.N. OCHA Financial Tracking Services, “HumanitarianResponse Plan(s): 2015 – Summary of Requirements andFunding” (2016), available at https://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2015_asof___29_January_2016_(02_32).pdf.

42 U.N. OCHA 2016 Appeal, “Global Humanitarian Overview2016,” available at http://www.unocha.org/2016appeal/

43 U.N. OCHA Financial Tracking Services, “Consolidated &Flash Appeals: 2000” (2016), available at https://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2000_asof___14_Janu-ary_2016_(17_15).pdf .

44 U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner,

“Ukraine: Dangerous Escalation in Conflict ProvingCatastrophic for Civilians,” February 3, 2015, available athttp://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15532&LangID=E.

45 Jason Patinkin, “Group: 80 Civilians Killed in South SudanCounty in Oc tober,” Associated Press, October 24, 2015,available at http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6f45e6b0afb848f 7afc931c85439bf37/group-80-civilians-killed-south-sudan-county-october.

46 For example, see Medecins Sans Frontieres , “Syria: Starva-tion Continues in Madaya – MSF Denounces ContinuedBlockage of Essential Aid and Medical Evacuations,” January29, 2016, available at http://www.msf.org/article/syria-starvation-continues-madaya-msf-denounces-continued-blockage-essential-aid-and-medical; BBC, “Madaya: ‘Another16 Starve to Death’ in Besieged Syrian Town,” January 30,2016, available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35449107.

47 Somini Sengupta and Nick Cumming-Bruce, “As Aid ReachesSyrians, U.N. Chief Says Withholding Food Is a War Crime,”The New York Times, January 14, 2016, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/world/middleeast/syria-aid-madaya.html.

48 Patrick Kingsley, “UN Backlash against Call to Scale BackGeneva Convention on Refugees,” The Guardian, Janu-ary 6, 2016, available at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/06/un-backlash-against-call-to-scale-back-geneva-convention-on-refugees.

49 Henriette Jacobsen, “Sweden Considers Cutting Develop-ment Aid Budget by 60% Due to Refugee Crisis,” EurActiv,November 5, 2015, available at http://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisis; MollyAnders, “Norway Diverting Aid to Cover Refugees: RobbingPeter to Pay Paul?”, Devex, November 6, 2015, available at

https://www.devex.com/news/norway-diverting-aid-to-cover-refugees-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul-87252.

50 World Humanitarian Summit, “Restoring Humanity: GlobalVoices Calling for Actio n.”

51 World Humanitarian Summit, “High-Level Panel on Hu-manitarian Financing Report to the Secretary-General: TooImportant to Fail.”

52 Casey Dunning, “Is Local Spending Better? The Controversyover USAID Procurement Reform,” Center for American Prog-ress, November 4, 2013, available at https://www.ameri-canprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/.

53 Sabrina Tavernise and Donald G. McNeil Jr., “Zika Virusa Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Says,” The New YorkTimes, February 1, 2016, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organiza-

tion.html.

54 For death tolls, see Statista , “The 10 Most Significant NaturalDisasters Worldwide by Death Toll from 1980 to 2014,”avail-able at http://www.statista.com/statistics/268029/natural-disasters-by-death-toll-since-1980/ (last accessed February2016).

55 World Humanitarian Summit, “Restoring Humanity: GlobalVoices Calling for Ac tion.”

56 John Vidal, “Climate change will hit poor countries hardest,study shows,” The Guardian, September 27, 2013, availableat http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/27/climate-change-poor-countries-ipcc.

57 Julian Srodecki, “Is closing the humanitarian funding gap assimple as saying yes (to new sources of funds)?”, World Vi-sion International, July 1, 2015, available at http://www.wvi.org/disaster-management/blogpost/closing-humanitarian-funding-gap-simple-saying-yes-new-sources-funds.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/01/251663.htmhttp://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/01/251663.htmhttp://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/leadersummit.htmlhttp://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/leadersummit.htmlhttp://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/46/a46r182.htmhttp://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/46/a46r182.htmhttps://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2015_asof___29_January_2016_(02_32).pdfhttps://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2015_asof___29_January_2016_(02_32).pdfhttps://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2015_asof___29_January_2016_(02_32).pdfhttp://www.unocha.org/2016appeal/https://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2000_asof___14_January_2016_(17_15).pdfhttps://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2000_asof___14_January_2016_(17_15).pdfhttps://fts.unocha.org/reports/daily/ocha_R21_Y2000_asof___14_January_2016_(17_15).pdfhttp://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15532&LangID=Ehttp://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15532&LangID=Ehttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/6f45e6b0afb848f7afc931c85439bf37/group-80-civilians-killed-south-sudan-county-octoberhttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/6f45e6b0afb848f7afc931c85439bf37/group-80-civilians-killed-south-sudan-county-octoberhttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/6f45e6b0afb848f7afc931c85439bf37/group-80-civilians-killed-south-sudan-county-octoberhttp://www.msf.org/article/syria-starvation-continues-madaya-msf-denounces-continued-blockage-essential-aid-and-medicalhttp://www.msf.org/article/syria-starvation-continues-madaya-msf-denounces-continued-blockage-essential-aid-and-medicalhttp://www.msf.org/article/syria-starvation-continues-madaya-msf-denounces-continued-blockage-essential-aid-and-medicalhttp://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35449107http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35449107http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/world/middleeast/syria-aid-madaya.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/world/middleeast/syria-aid-madaya.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/world/middleeast/syria-aid-madaya.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/06/un-backlash-against-call-to-scale-back-geneva-convention-on-refugeeshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/06/un-backlash-against-call-to-scale-back-geneva-convention-on-refugeeshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/06/un-backlash-against-call-to-scale-back-geneva-convention-on-refugeeshttp://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisishttp://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisishttp://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisishttps://www.devex.com/news/norway-diverting-aid-to-cover-refugees-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul-87252https://www.devex.com/news/norway-diverting-aid-to-cover-refugees-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul-87252https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.htmlhttp://www.statista.com/statistics/268029/natural-disasters-by-death-toll-since-1980/http://www.statista.com/statistics/268029/natural-disasters-by-death-toll-since-1980/http://www.statista.com/statistics/268029/natural-disasters-by-death-toll-since-1980/http://www.statista.com/statistics/268029/natural-disasters-by-death-toll-since-1980/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/health/zika-virus-world-health-organization.htmlhttps://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2013/11/04/78693/is-local-spending-better/https://www.devex.com/news/norway-diverting-aid-to-cover-refugees-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul-87252https://www.devex.com/news/norway-diverting-aid-to-cover-refugees-robbing-peter-to-pay-paul-87252http://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisishttp://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisishttp://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/sweden-considers-cutting-development-aid-budget-60-due-refugee-crisishttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/06/un-backlash-agains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a critical year for humanitarianism

Documents