2003 UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals

AM Meeting

HELP BUILD BRIDGE FROM DISASTER TO DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

URGED AT LAUNCH OF CONSOLIDATED INTER-AGENCY APPEALS FOR 2003

Relief Aid Can Be Difference between Life and Death,

Dignity and Despair, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Stresses

Launching the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals for 2003 at a Headquarters meeting this morning, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie said that $3 billion to help 50 million people in 30 countries amounted to less than 50 cents per person -- less than "buying the world a coke".

Opening the meeting, Ms. McAskie said that while the $2.5 billion received for the 2002 appeals had been generous, it had accounted for only 57 per cent of the amount required.  The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was calling for an even better response this year, with the goal of building a bridge from disaster to development.  Relief aid, when properly used, could make the difference between life and death, between dignity and despair.  The growth sought in the appeals process reflected the dire humanitarian crisis in the world, she said, emphasizing the importance of advocacy on behalf of the world's poor.

According to an OCHA press release issued today, the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals for 2003, themed "Hope for the Future", sought to emphasize the importance of providing hope to communities ravaged by conflict and other crises.  The humanitarian crises included in this year's appeals were those in Afghanistan, Angola, Burundi, Chechnya and neighbouring republics (Russian Federation), Côte d'Ivoire (and the West African subregion), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Great Lakes region, Guinea, Indonesia, Liberia, occupied Palestinian territory, Sierra Leone, Somalia, southern Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan and Uganda.

Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), called for tough action to break the hideous cycle of death and destruction that was overwhelming societies around the world.  Noting that 2002 had been a year of radical change, she said that persistent problems, including political insecurity in Afghanistan, the spread of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa, and the food shortage in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, required a generous response that would bolster the spirit of international cooperation, help restore hope and human dignity, and promote peace and security.

The representative of Venezuela, speaking as Chairman of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that regular and predictable funding was the

backbone of any successful action to combat humanitarian crises.  Since the great majority of disaster victims lived in the developing world, the humanitarian work of the United Nations was of vital importance.  Strengthening the appeals process would lead to better, quicker responses to disasters, regardless of geographic location.  Securing the necessary funding was a challenging but essential task towards moving from relief to development, he added.

Acknowledging that the appeal for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in the amount of $225 million, was being launched under unfavourable political conditions, Masood Hyder, Humanitarian Coordinator for that country, warned that time was running out and urgent support was needed to address the water, health and sanitation situation.  The consequences of doing nothing would gradually lead parts of the country into a food crisis, causing loss of life and dashing all hopes for significant economic reform and a more secure future.

Following the opening presentation, which included music from the Indonesian Musicians and a short video, several speakers stressed the importance of hope in stemming conditions of despair.  The representative of Afghanistan said that, for the first time in 23 years, peace could be seen and felt in his country.  Yet, that peace was fragile, requiring the continued support of the international community.  Financial assistance was the most powerful tool for preventing a relapse into conflict.  Reconstruction was also a condition for security and peace because those employed in construction projects would abandon the warlords and security would immediately follow.

Malawi’s representative said that more than 3.3 million poor people in his country were facing famine, mainly as a result of erratic rains in two successive seasons.  More than 65 per cent of the population lived on 31 cents a day, with chronic malnutrition and HIV/AIDS affecting many of them.  He appealed to the international community to avert the looming tragedy, which would have horrendous effects and distort Malawi’s development efforts.  The period from November to March was the most critical, and the immediate challenge was to avert starvation through food and non-food interventions.

Burundi’s representative asserted that the foreign media had barely acknowledged the humanitarian situation in his country, brought on by a nine-year civil war.  The international press stressed the political aspects of the war, failing to emphasize the consequences for internally displaced people suffering from HIV/AIDS and lacking medical care, schooling, water and shelter.  At the same time, he wondered why only 32.9 per cent of the pledges for Burundi had been fulfilled.

Other speakers today were the representatives of the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, China, Zimbabwe, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sweden, and Uganda.

A representative of the European Commission also spoke, as did the Chief of the United Nations Mine-Action Service.

Statements

CAROLYN MCASKIE, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that the growth sought in the appeals process reflected the dire humanitarian crisis in the world. Speaking about the 2003 Appeal, she said that $2.7 billion had been requested for more than 50 million people in 30 countries and regions, excluding Afghanistan and Ethiopia.  She stressed that this was very little money.  In fact, in a global context, it amounted to less than 50 cents, or the price of a can of Coca-Cola, per person.

When the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was formed, it had been given the tasks of coordination, policy and advocacy.  The last of the three, the most important, entailed speaking on behalf of the world’s poor.  Publicity was, thus, needed to give marginalized populations a voice.  She pointed out that while the $2.5 billion received in 2002 was a generous amount, it accounted for only 57 per cent of what was needed.  She was now calling for an even better response this year.  Her goal was to build a bridge from disaster to development, and she emphasized that relief aid, when properly used, could make the difference between life and death, and between dignity and despair.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), THORAYA OBAID, said that tough action was needed to break the hideous cycle of death and destruction that was overwhelming societies around the world.  She said that 2002 had been a year of radical change.  Developments, such as the independence of Timor-Leste, peaceful elections in Sierra Leone, and the border agreements in Eritrea and Ethiopia, showed that people were ready to rebuild their lives and countries.  However, they needed international support to do so.

In light of continuing problems, including political insecurity in Afghanistan, the spread of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa, and the lack of food in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, she said the United Nations was asking the world’s donors for $3 billion.  She stressed that a generous response would bolster the spirit of international cooperation, help restore hope and human dignity, and promote peace and security.

MILOS ALCALAY (Venezuela), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries, said that regular and predictable funding was the backbone of any successful action to combat humanitarian crises.  Additionally, since the great majority of disaster victims lived in the developing world, the humanitarian work of the United Nations was of vital importance.  The emergence of internal conflicts served as an example of how the nature of emergencies had changed, and he noted that such conflicts usually found their origins in a lack of economic and social development.

Emphasizing his support for the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP), he   said he was pleased with the increase in its resources and contributions.  Strengthening the Process would lead to better and quicker responses to disasters, regardless of geographic location.  He urged donor countries to continue to provide assistance, but also called for more South-South cooperation.  He reiterated that getting funding was a challenge when trying to move on the path from relief to development.  However, the situation would improve if all actors in the developing world, whether non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or national governments, worked together.

MASOOD HYDER, Humanitarian Coordinator in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said that this year the United Nations and NGOs in that country were appealing for $225 million.  The appeal was being launched under unfavourable conditions, owing to recent international political dynamics and the doubts remaining in the minds of many donors concerning operating conditions in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, making a generous response less certain.  Those concerns included access to people in need, weaknesses in reporting receipt of assistance, and related issues of monitoring.  At the same time, there was no doubt about the gravity of the humanitarian position.  The food situation was bad and rapidly getting worse.  Three million Koreans, including women, children and the elderly, were no longer receiving support from the World Food Programme (WFP).  Soon, there would be no food for 6 million people.

He said that time was running out.  Water, health and sanitation were all in need of urgent support.  Clearly, the humanitarian consequences of doing nothing would be extremely serious.  No response would gradually lead parts of the country into a food crisis, and the hope of significant economic reform, leading to a more secure future, would be dashed.  As the adjustment process took hold, humanitarian assistance would continue to play a crucial role, not only in providing a safety net for the vulnerable, but also in helping the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea make significant gains towards rebuilding itself as an outward-looking nation.  Without continued assistance, all of the gains of the past and all hopes for a better future would dim.  Humanitarian assistance had nothing to do with politics.  A hungry child knew no politics.

DIRK JAN VAN DEN BERG (Netherlands), serving as President of Humanitarian Liaison, said that despite dire predictions there were reasons for hope.  The international community might not be able to control or prevent humanitarian emergencies to the degree it wanted, but it was indeed building bridges from disaster to development.  Now, in the second decade of the emergency assistance coordination function, much had been achieved -- but the financial response of donors must keep pace with the coordination.  Hopefully, lessons learned from various emergencies tackled by the international community would lead to more effective delivery, with links to ownership and early reconstruction.  Afghanistan was an example, with a strong local coordination structure. 

He said that food was not enough; restoring human dignity must be part of the broader agenda, with access another key component.  Important work was being done with internally displaced persons.  Meanwhile, Africa should not be forgotten.  While he had not wished to emphasize one crisis at the expense of another, many people would be at risk in the Horn of Africa and southern Africa in 2003.  He commended the humanitarian agencies for their strong response to the accusations of abuse by aid workers in West Africa.  Clearly, focusing on gender in humanitarian conflict and post-conflict situations would help positively shape the future.  It was crucial not only to protect women but also to empower them.

MARIA ANGELA ZAPPIA (Italy) agreed that the consolidated appeals played a crucial role, not only in fundraising, but in strategic planning.  Thus, she was quite pleased with ongoing efforts to upgrade the appeals, as well as with efforts to seek the further involvement of NGOs in donor countries.  Indeed, that was the only way to help improve living conditions in beneficiary nations.  At the same time, she was aware of the problem of under-funding.  Italy had steadily increased its response to the appeals and it fully intended to continue to strengthen them, particularly in countries in conflict, on the basis of its foreign policy priorities.  Africa would continue to be the focus of its attention.  Other regions and peoples would also be highlighted, including Afghans and Palestinians.

ISAAC C. LAMBA (Malawi) said that 3.3 million poor Malawians were facing famine, as his country was undergoing an unprecedented by prolonged famine, mainly the result of erratic rains in two successive seasons.  The urgency of the humanitarian crisis necessitated a special appeal to Malawi’s partners for accelerated action in meeting their pledges to avert loss of life.  Specifically, 208,000 tonnes of cereals and 92 tonnes of therapeutic food for vulnerable groups were urgently required to avert disaster between now and the next harvest, in May and June 2003.  About 10 per cent of the 3.3 million endangered persons would die if the international response was further delayed.  Thus far, only 33 per cent of the $144 million pledged in July had been received.

He appealed, once again, to the international community to avert the looming tragedy, which would have horrendous effects and distort Malawi’s development efforts.  The months from November to March were the most critical.  Meanwhile, Malawi ranked among the bottom 7 per cent in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Poverty and Human Development Indexes for 2000.  More than 65 per cent of the population lived on 31 cents per day, with chronic malnutrition and HIV/AIDS affecting many of them.  Desperate for food and other resources, people were resorting to high-risk activities, such as prostitution and migration, making them even more vulnerable to infection.  The major and immediate challenge now was to avert the threatened starvation through food and non-food interventions.

FUMIKO SAIGA (Japan) suggested two strategic improvements that would increase the effectiveness of the CAP.  They included:  more prioritizing and better cooperation with NGOs.  Although donor countries once covered more than   80 per cent of the funding for the CAP, that figure had slipped to below 60 per cent.  Thus, it was the duty of the OCHA to make it easier for the international community to focus its limited resources on specific areas.

Turning to NGOs, she noted that only specific NGOs had been included as potential recipients of contributions, and questioned why others had been excluded.  In that context, she called on the international community to decide upon fair and objective standards for NGOs wishing to join the CAP.

Ms. McASKIE responded that, as far as she knew, there were no restrictions that excluded any NGOs.

DJESSAN PHILIPPE DJANGONE-BI (Côte d’Ivoire) said there were social and humanitarian aspects to the recent political crisis in his country.  Specifically, many people had been displaced and were currently living without proper shelter, food, and health care.  To restore hope in his country and region, he, therefore, called for an international fact-finding mission to investigate possible human rights violations in Côte d’Ivoire.

RAVAN FARHÂDI (Afghanistan) said that he fully supported the CAP, especially since post-conflict countries like his own urgently needed humanitarian aid and critical support for the transition to durable peace and sustainable development. He stressed that reconstruction and peace went hand in hand.  One could not be achieved without the other.  Reconstruction was also critical for security.  For the first time in 23 years, peace could be seen in Afghanistan -- but it was fragile.  The delicate transition period had, therefore, to be supported with continued humanitarian assistance.  He maintained that such assistance, especially financial, was the most important instrument for preventing lapses into conflict.

He said that NGOs in Afghanistan were important for the reconstruction of his country.  They needed, however, to exhibit greater transparency.  After all, they received large amounts of money in the name of Afghanistan, and he wanted to assure his country’s people that the money was reaching them and not just covering the NGOs’ local expenses.

ATOKI ILEKA (Democratic Republic of the Congo) said that millions of men, women, and children in his country were suffering in the aftermath of internal conflicts.  Medical well-being, sanitation systems, and infrastructure in general, as well as peace-building efforts, were all in decline.  In light of his country’s tragedy, he appreciated the presence of the OCHA there.  He stressed, however, that humanitarian assistance would be more effective if it went beyond immediate relief and promoted long-term development and peace-building.

SUN JOUN-YUNG (Republic of Korea) said that despite the uncertainties of a world reeling from the trauma of the 11 September 2001 attacks, his country had done its best to do its share in providing humanitarian assistance.  It had provided the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with $65 million in assistance in 2002, comprising 35 per cent of both governmental and private sources.  The commitment to helping the most vulnerable and desperate, whether at global, regional or national levels, should remain steady and strong in the face of changing economic and political circumstances. 

He said that humanitarian assistance should be administered with the long-term objective in mind.  Assistance must be provided in a way that contributed to recovery and long-term development, rather than averting emergency or creating dependency.  In certain circumstances, it was difficult to know where emergency aid ended and rehabilitation began, especially in the case of a complex crisis.  So, rather than drawing that line, everyone should reorient themselves to the longer term; assistance and recovery aid should not be viewed as distinct phases requiring distinct proposals.

HUANG XUEQI (China) said the appeals for 2003 could mobilize additional resources to provide humanitarian assistance to developing countries affected by natural disasters and emergencies.  The appeals were both timely and necessary, on the eve of the General Assembly’s consideration of humanitarian affairs.  Today’s event would again alert the United Nations and the international community to the need to raise more funds.  As a developing country prone to natural disasters, China had received assistance from the United Nations and the international community.  It had also provided emergency humanitarian assistance to many developing countries via bilateral channels, and would continue to do its best to assist disaster-stricken developing countries.

MARTIN BARBER, Chief, United Nations Mine-Action Service, said the launch of the portfolio of United Nations mine-related projects for 2003 was synchronized, for the first time, with the launch of the consolidated appeals.  The United Nations agencies involved in mine-action projects were appealing for $204 million for 35 countries.  Ten of them, notably Afghanistan and Angola, had the same mine- action requirements as those of the consolidated appeals.

MISHECK MUCHETWA (Zimbabwe) said that 7.8 million people in his country  were in urgent need of food aid, and the Government had made an appeal for

$285 million.  Because of the severity of the situation, genetically modified corn had been accepted as a viable donation.

Addressing accusations made against his Government regarding food distribution, he said Zimbabwe did not use food as a political tool and had, in fact, distributed it where it was most urgently needed, regardless of which political party the recipients supported.

JAN BERTQVIST (Sweden) said that funding continued to be uneven and only met 60 per cent of what was needed.  Noting that OCHA’s documents served as good planning tools, he said, however, that there still remained a need to mainstream gender issues and to come up with a specific and unified response to HIV/AIDS in Africa.

MARC NTETURUYE (Burundi) said that the humanitarian situation in his country, brought on by a nine-year civil war, constituted an emergency for his people, but the foreign media seemed barely to acknowledge it.  Stressing the political aspects of the war, the international press failed to emphasize the consequences for internally displaced people suffering from HIV/AIDS and a lack of medical care, schooling, water and shelter.

He noted that only 32.9 per cent of the pledges to assist Burundi had been fulfilled, and wondered why that was the case.  While the international community was not insensitive to the suffering of Burundians, his country shared with the rest of the world the responsibility to improve communication in order to convince the international community to help.

NICOLA BELLOMO, of the European Commission, pledging his continued support for the United Nations in the humanitarian arena, said that political agreements made in meetings such as this morning’s had born tangible results out in the field.  The partnership between the OCHA and the European Commission would continue to grow and strengthen in the future.

HAROLD ACEMAH (Uganda) thanked the OCHA for the help it had given his country and expressed the hope that donor countries would respond positively to the appeals heard today.

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