The UN estimates that 274 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection by 2022. At the same time, the willingness and ability to help are diminishing. The way humanitarian work is conducted must change.

The new year starts with several media stories with "top 10 lists" of international conflicts to watch out for in 2022. Many of them have now escalated to the point of being considered potential war triggers. With war comes suffering, hunger and loss of human life. Political instability, increasing numbers of people fleeing their own countries, climate change, urban warfare and the ripple effects of the corona pandemic are among the main reasons why the need for humanitarian aid is increasing from year to year.

Strengthened local response

State-to-state conflicts are on the rise, after decades of internal conflicts dominating. The news reports for 2022 bear this out. This places new demands on humanitarian response, and it underscores the need for a new course, which we have seen emerging over the past 5-10 years. It is about reaching people where they are through a strengthened local response, supported by and in coordination with the international humanitarian response.

In 2022, 1 in 29 people in the world will need humanitarian assistance, compared to 1 in 45 people in 2019. In the Global Humanitarian Overview 2022, the UN sets a goal of helping 183 million people in 63 countries, which will cost the international community 41 billion US dollars. This is far from enough to meet the needs of the 274 million people that the UN refers to. In addition to the UN, humanitarian aid organizations, such as Caritas , with life-saving emergency response .

Decentralized structure

To ensure that more people are reached, we believe that the solution must lie in a more decentralized humanitarian structure. That is, increased involvement of local partners and volunteers who know their countries and local communities. The international community, together with local partners, must establish new ways of working. This does not come without challenges, but with ever-increasing humanitarian needs, we cannot continue in the same way.

The conflicts and crises that await in 2022 seem difficult to resolve through large-scale international operations and efforts due to difficult access for both the UN and aid organizations. The examples are many; in Afghanistan, the humanitarian needs are now very great. To avoid a famine, 24 million people will need life-saving assistance. The cause of the crisis is the worst drought in 27 years and four decades of conflict.

After Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Yemen are countries with enormous needs. Neither of these countries allows in much international assistance and the UN can only operate on a small scale.

Haiti is also a country in deep crisis. The earthquake in August is one of the causes, but also a deterioration of the political, socio-economic and security situation, in addition to the negative effects of the pandemic. Of the population of 11.6 million, 43 percent are in need of humanitarian assistance. The international community has access here, but after decades of partly unsuccessful humanitarian efforts, there is a need for new thinking here too.

In South Sudan, the worst flooding in 60 years has contributed to food insecurity reaching the most extreme levels since the country gained independence in 2011. Lack of security and widespread violence in society are limiting international efforts here as well.

Prevention and preparedness

We believe that it is now time to put action behind the words about rethinking humanitarian work. The topic has been on the agenda several times, but has not led to major changes. Today , barely three percent of the world's total humanitarian aid is spent on prevention and preparedness. This is despite the fact that every krone spent for this purpose will result in savings in emergency response of seven kroner. In the long term, it will save the world community large sums of money.

Sustainable solutions

It is documented that it pays to spend more resources on local preparedness, including through training of organization employees, volunteers and the general public. This will make local communities better equipped to prevent and manage future crises.

At the 2016 Humanitarian Summit, it was decided that 25 percent of global emergency funds should go as directly as possible to local actors. Five years later , direct funding amounts to only 4.7 percent . We believe that this is far too little. More funds must be channeled directly to local organizations, and costly intermediaries must be avoided. In the long run, this will create local ownership and sustainable solutions, which a report from Clearview Research in 2021 also concludes.

We hope Norway will take the lead in ensuring that local organizations have more influence, strengthen their preparedness and increase funding for their emergency response, so that the world's overall humanitarian efforts become more sustainable.

(Chronicle signed by Secretary General Martha Skretteberg)