European Humanitarian Forum: how can we address the high humanitarian needs?

The Belgian EU presidency hosted the third edition of the European Humanitarian Forum, where the financial shortfall for humanitarian aid and the forgotten crises were the two main issues. As a loyal and flexible donor, our country led by example.

Humanitarian aid was discussed at length during the Belgian EU presidency. And we are not just talking about the multiple meetings of the EU Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA). Also on the agenda was the third edition of the European Humanitarian Forum, which proved quite a challenge for a medium-sized humanitarian donor like Belgium! Each time, our FPS's humanitarian aid department was leading from the front.
 

5,000 participants

In just a few years, the European Humanitarian Forum has become an important meeting platform, where those responsible for humanitarian aid from the EU and EU Member States - together with the international humanitarian community - exchange views on the pressing issues within the sector. During the third edition, the Belgian presidency continued in the same vein, with even more emphasis on policy.

On 18 and 19 March 2024, as many as 1,800 people gathered in Brussels, while another 3,200 followed the proceedings online. In addition to EU representatives, there were representatives of countries in crisis, major donors and major humanitarian organisations and NGOs, such as the International Rescue Committee. Local NGOs from the crisis areas also joined in.
 

Increasing needs

Such large-scale meetings are needed, because unfortunately, humanitarian needs remain very high. The UN estimates that some 300 million people will need humanitarian aid and protection in 2024. The needs are so great that in 2023, for example, only 40% of the required budget was met. Moreover, many crises have been forgotten. Either because they have been dragging on for a very long time and/or, quite simply, because attention has been pulled away to other crises that enjoy a higher profile in the media.

So for our country, it was obvious to address two main themes at the forum, namely the financial chasm and the forgotten crises.
 

Financial chasm

In any case, the EU - along with its Member States - is not doing badly. During the forum, over 7.7 billion euros in humanitarian aid could be earmarked. And there will almost certainly be funding on top of that. In 2023 - a record year - the EU contributed 32.34% of humanitarian aid spent worldwide.

Together, the EU and the US accounted for 69.5% of aid in 2023. So there are only a very limited number of donors that are shouldering the burden. Attracting alternative donors - such as Saudi Arabia - is certainly part of the solution, but innovative funding can also help plug the gap, for example, by attracting more private money. Additional climate funding for climate-vulnerable areas ravaged by conflict can also provide a way out by building resilience in fragile settings.

Another option is to involve organisations that are able to support small local NGOs with modest funds that can still make a difference. For indeed, often those small NGOs are better suited to reach disadvantaged groups, including marginalised people, people with disabilities and women's organisations.

'Quality funding' also plays a role. Belgium is leading by example in this regard. By 2023, some 60% of Belgian funding was partially or fully 'flexible'. This means that the money can be deployed quickly and effectively, and the recipient humanitarian organisation is free to decide which crisis it will spend the money on. During the forum, our country made an impassioned plea for more flexible funding.

Also, by implementing humanitarian aid differently and better, we can squeeze more out of each euro. For example, the EU is working with its humanitarian partners toward more efficient supply chains and better logistics cooperation.

Forgotten crises

Many crises are underfunded and escape the attention of the media. Moreover, they are receiving too little political attention, which sets in motion a vicious cycle of less and less involvement.

Many conflicts are also protracted. The eastern Congolese people, for example, have suffered violence, massacres and rape for 30 years. Equally, the Palestinian people have suffered from an ongoing conflict for many years. As many as four in five (83%) of all crises worldwide are protracted!

Belgium's humanitarian policy is already fully focused on such forgotten complex crises, including the Great Lakes region (DR Congo...), the Sahel and the Middle East (Syria, Palestine...).

So our country seized the EU presidency as an opportunity to bring the forgotten crises into the limelight. Consequently, debates continued on the Rohingya of Myanmar, South Sudan, Chad, Colombia, Venezuela and Haiti.

A crisis close to our country's heart is the harrowing conflict in eastern Congo with its shocking sexual violence. This is why, during the forum, we organised a plenary session on this in the presence of Belgium's Queen Mathilde. Renowned Congolese gynaecologist Dr Mukwege - 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner - also attended.

The forum stressed the importance of increased media coverage to bring the forgotten crises out of oblivion.
 

Humanitarian aid, development and peace

The question arises as to what type of aid is best suited to address the needs of crises that have been dragging on for 20-30 years. There may well be a need for development cooperation in those instances. Indeed, humanitarian aid typically focuses on acute, urgent needs, while development cooperation builds more resilient societies over the long term.

Yet, both forms of assistance remain mostly locked in their silos. After all, conducting development cooperation in areas affected by protracted conflicts involves great risks. Moreover, it requires specific expertise.

Nevertheless, efforts should continue to be made to increase synergies between humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peacebuilding. Together, they can contribute to conflict resolution and thus reduce financial needs for humanitarian aid.
 

Unique meeting place

The European Humanitarian Forum also drove home the unmistakable message that we must drastically curb the increasingly gross violations of international humanitarian law. "If we continue to condone these violations without consequence, we undermine international law itself, and the rules-based order of which it is the foundation," the Belgian Development Cooperation Minister argued. "In the end, it is we who pay the price."

The European Humanitarian Forum has clearly become a humanitarian event that cannot be ignored. It brings together the entire international humanitarian community to discuss current issues and seek innovative, effective and sustainable solutions. This unique meeting place even provided an opportunity for small local NGOs to speak with the big NGOs. So the voice of those small NGOs was certainly heard there with the clear message, "If you are not around the table, you are on the menu."

Belgium can reflect with satisfaction on a particularly successful edition with many fruitful discussions. It allowed our country to present itself as a loyal and flexible humanitarian donor, ensuring that no one is left out. Definitely kudos to the Belgian EU presidency!

The fourth edition will take place in 2025 under Polish presidency.