European Humanitarian Forum 2025: Greater emphasis needed on protecting civilians and humanitarian workers

During the European Humanitarian Forum in May 2025, Belgium made a strong case for improved protection of civilians and local humanitarian workers, through our Federal Public Service (FPS). International humanitarian law must be upheld.

On 19 and 20 May 2025, the fourth European Humanitarian Forum (EHF) was held in Brussels. Last year’s forum took place under the Belgian Presidency; this year, the Polish Presidency took the lead.

At the EHF, the international humanitarian community comes together to discuss current issues and seek innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions. For Belgium, the Forum offers a key opportunity for our colleagues in the departments of “Humanitarian Aid” and “Fragility and Nexus” to make our voice heard and participate actively in shaping the future of the humanitarian system.
 

Root causes of fragility

Global humanitarian needs continue to rise due to armed conflict, climate-related disasters, and food insecurity. More than 305 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, in a context of declining budgets and shifting power dynamics.

This year’s EHF focused primarily on two themes: Firstly, we notice that more and more people have to survive in fragile contexts. War, political instability, climate disruption, and economic shocks only exacerbate the situation.

To address this, we must tackle the root causes and deploy all available instruments: not only humanitarian aid to address urgent needs, but also development cooperation, peace-building, and diplomacy. Through building resilient and stable communities, we can prevent future crises. The Belgian Development Cooperation has focused its efforts primarily in fragile countries for many years.
 

Reducing the risks of violence

The second theme is one that Belgium holds especially dear: the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers. International humanitarian law is increasingly violated. Civilians often suffer severely during conflicts, and humanitarian workers are coming under attack more frequently. In 2024, there were 700 victims among humanitarian workers, including a record number of fatalities.

Belgium considers the protection of civilians a top priority in its humanitarian actions. Through measures such as providing women and children access to protection services, our country makes a real difference for these vulnerable groups.

During Belgium’s EU Presidency in 2024, we clearly emphasised that the humanitarian sector’s response is inadequate. It is too reactive, focusing on the consequences of violence, instead of investing in ways to prevent and mitigate the risks of violence.
 

Ceasefires

Belgium's priority is to prevent violence and conflict. Where possible, we base our efforts on initiatives already undertaken by local communities.

For example, we supported Oxfam in securing a ceasefire in Yemen between communities that frequently clashed. This was particularly important for displaced people who were often caught in the crossfire. Oxfam relied on an existing protection network to find a third party willing to negotiate with community leaders.

We also recorded success in Burkina Faso, where the issue concerned a bridge between two villages – a hotspot for physical and sexual violence, sometimes with fatal consequences. After two failed attempts to persuade the military authorities to act, a third effort which involved the regional director of social welfare was successful. Joint patrols with local communities were deployed. Violence was quickly reduced and economic activities resumed. This success story was fully attributable to the long-term support of the Oxfam programme.

Olivier Vandecasteele

Belgium believes humanitarian workers must also be better protected, of course. Local workers, who are on the front lines, face great risks, caught between urgent needs and increasing violations of international humanitarian law. One of the EHF panel discussions, which was attended by our Director-General for Development Cooperation, Heidy Rombouts, explored this issue in depth.

Local humanitarian workers are too often under-recognised as the backbone of humanitarian efforts. As a result, they receive too little support (including financial support), and are insufficiently equipped to perform their risky and mentally demanding yet essential duties. They deserve increased funding and robust psychological care.

Belgian humanitarian worker Olivier Vandecasteele, who was imprisoned for 456 days in Iran, also took part in the debate. After his release, he founded the NGO Protect Humanitarians, which advocates for better protection of humanitarian workers worldwide.
 

€188 Million

The EHF once again offered a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and define concrete next steps. Belgium made its voice heard through our FPS. Last year, we allocated nearly €188 million for humanitarian aid, and a similar amount is foreseen for 2025. The EU as a whole also stepped up, announcing that it would allocate over €2.3 billion in humanitarian aid in 2025, including aid for Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.