Are we really entering a new era of contested aid – or are we just seeing a little more of the same?
Are organisational interests of UN and INGOs in the way for real transformation?
And what role should Germany play?
In CHAtroom episode #25 CHA director Ralf Südhoff welcomes Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council and former United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator as well as Eminent Person of the Grand Bargain.
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Quotes:
“I cannot overemphasize the gravity of this moment – the gap between exploding needs and collapsing funding has never been bigger in my lifetime.”
“Now we are not just cutting some bureaucracy, we are cutting food rations to starving children.”
“It is not unique that we have enormous crimes against humanity and war crimes – but I have never seen so many people driven out of their homes because of indiscriminate violence.”
“[When local actors say ] they need to sit at the table when decisions are made in Geneva – I think it’s a side discussion really. We need to reach the people of El Fasher and do that with and through local groups and they do not need to come to Geneva or Berlin to discuss it. They have to be empowered to do their work. It is all about field operations and field action with the people who are there. […] Let’s not spend too much time on […] ‘what is my rightful piece of the cake’. We have to discuss operations.”
“Germany is the biggest country in Europe, it is the number 1 in so many aspects – economy, population – it has to lead also on the humanitarian front. And it is not leadership to increase [funding] dramatically one year and then cut it by half the next year.”
“I understand the need to do armaments now – there is a war in Europe. But if stability is defined as beating Russia in Ukraine only, I think we are doing a big strategic mistake.”
“Let’s not call it burden sharing, because it is a responsibility – it is responsibility sharing. […] There is too many free riders in the G7 or G20, countries that a keen to host a football word championship or Olympics […] – but they cannot give us money for starving children. […] Germany needs to play a leadership role here.”
