My first visit to the Horn of Africa as President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) comes at a difficult time for this region, which is suffering from the combined effects of armed conflict and climate change.
Faced with the deteriorating humanitarian situation of millions of people, the ICRC has decided to strengthen its activities in this area: in the last three years, the institutional budget allocated to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia has increased by 32% – with Kenya as central regional axis–, despite the fact that the world budget has had an increase of 9%. This shows that, despite the state of turmoil the world is going through, we maintain our firm commitment to assist vulnerable communities affected by the armed conflict in this region.
Each country in the Horn of Africa faces its own difficulties. The peace process in northern Ethiopia gave hope to millions of people after two years of suffering and enormous deprivation caused by the armed conflict. However, the humanitarian needs remain enormous, especially in remote areas of the Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia regions. In Somalia, civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict, which has intensified in the past year, as the country and the entire region suffer from unprecedented drought.
Some of the largest problems cross national borders. The food crisis is putting pressure on the most vulnerable communities in the region, and the devastating effects of climate change cannot be contained within a single country. Those fleeing violence and climate shocks cross national borders, and humanitarian efforts to prevent family separation span multiple countries and sometimes continents.
That is why it is so important for us to maintain our close collaboration with the African Union, an essential actor in addressing these regional problems. Furthermore, I will not fail to stress the importance of the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which are part of the largest humanitarian network in the world. We would be unable to reach those who urgently need us if it were not for the Somali Red Crescent, Kenya Red Cross Society and other Movement partners around the world.
During these difficult times, the ICRC continues to promote respect for international humanitarian law and once again reaffirms its principle of neutrality, which enables it to provide protection and assistance to communities in remote and conflict-affected areas.
The world faces significant political and economic challenges that affect humanitarian action as well, as we face ever-increasing operational costs, increased competition for funding, and sometimes even questions of core humanitarian principles. We count on the continued support of our donors in this region, where we have demonstrated the true value of neutral and impartial humanitarian action.
I am confident that my visit will send the message that the suffering of those affected by armed conflict and violence in the Horn of Africa will not be forgotten and that we will continue to respond to the most urgent humanitarian needs.
More information:
Alyona Synenko, ICRC Nairobi: +254,716,897,265
asynenko@icrc.org