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Somalia and Syria, optimism and worry
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
photo source: UK Foreign Office
It was great to have so many high-level figures – from the region and from the UN, from old and new donors – gathered around the same table and agreeing on the way forward for Somalia, a country which has been wrecked for decades by conflict. For good reason it has been described today by British officials as the classic failed state.
I am optimistic that the corner has finally been turned. Read the full entry
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The refugee camp you did not know about
Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Exactly three months ago, the United Nations declared famine in Somalia. Throughout the entire Horn of Africa, drought has thrown more than 13 million people into a humanitarian crisis with no quick fix in sight. My colleagues and I have already shared our impressions about what we have seen in the region – and you certainly have seen the shocking images of hunger and misery from the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. The situation in Dadaab is more serious than ever, but it is not the only hot spot – which is why today I have invited ECHO’s regional information officer Bea Spadacini to tell you more about Dollo Ado, another camp where humanitarian struggle daily to save, cure and feed people.
For several months now, the world has been hearing about the drought which ravages the Horn of Africa, leaving millions of people at risk of starvation in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. The media have paid a lot of attention to the Dadaab refugee camps in Northern Kenya. Built for 90,000 people, the camps now host almost half a million. And they keep growing. Read the full entry
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A day for thanking the helpers
Friday, August 19th, 2011
World Humanitarian Day, which is today, is an opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women who work in difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions, dedicating their work and their lives to the service of humanity. They place themselves at greatest risk than the UN peacekeepers – they carry no guns but face as much danger. In 2010 there were 129 security incidents targeting humanitarian workers; 69 were killed, 86 were injured and 87 were kidnapped. Read the full entry
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Meet the foot soldiers of relief aid
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
We, the Commission, deliver European humanitarian aid in partnership with the world’s best respected organisations on the field. You certainly know most of them – UN agencies like the High Commissioner for Refugees, international organisations like the Red Cross, NGOs like Save the Children. This cooperation guarantees that our aid – your aid – is delivered in the most efficient and professional aid to the people who need it.
While we work with the biggest and the best, we also join forces with less-known, but equally worthy partners: local non-governmental and community-based organisations. Read the full entry
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Doolow is the last stop for Somalis running from hunger and conflict to neighbouring Ethiopia. The local community is itself hard-hit by the drought. What I saw there was grim but I also took some positive notes from my visit.
The first encouraging sign was the local chieftain sitting down with our partner organisation Coopi and taking an active part in the process of distributing food supplies to fellow Somalis arriving from the worst-hit regions of their country. Read the full entry
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Hospitality over guns – part 1: Yemen’s untold story
Monday, January 17th, 2011
We all know Yemen as a very dangerous place. Since reunification in 1990, the country has been struggling with conflicts in both the South and the North, and a small, but powerful Al-Qaeda movement raises security concerns on a global scale. Jambiya, the traditional knife all men carry, is proudly on display everywhere, and there is no shortage of more modern weapons of all kinds. Read the full entry
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One of the most dangerous jobs in the world
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
The picture you see attached is one of the images used for eye-catching banners that are currently exhibited on two main buildings in the heart of the European district in Brussels. They demand the attention of EU officials, Members of the European Parliament, journalists and many other passers-by. The message of the banners is simple and clear: “Don’t’ Shoot, I’m a Humanitarian Worker!”
This campaign marks the World Humanitarian Day. Seven years ago, on 19 August 2003, Sergio Vieira de Mello, a great humanitarian and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and 21 of his colleagues died when the hotel they were staying at in Baghdad was bombed. This day has now been given a special place in the calendar, to commemorate Mr. de Mello and his colleagues and all humanitarian aid workers who have lost their lives helping others. It is also a day that aims at t highlighting current humanitarian needs across the globe. This year’s theme is “I am a humanitarian aid worker”, which gives us all the opportunity to express gratitude to these courageous and dedicated people, and to raise awareness of the dangers and difficulties they face as they carry out one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Read the full entry
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