Geneva – The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor released a brief report addressing challenges faced by United Nations and International relief organizations as a result of the lack of the necessary funding for its humanitarian programs and donors’ failure to fulfil their commitments.

The report, titled “Without Protection: International Relief is in Danger of Collapse”, noted that in the light of the poor funding, services provided to the most vulnerable groups by these organizations will significantly be reduced. This will lead to the aggravation of the humanitarian crises in disaster, conflict, and war-zones around the world.

The report stressed that more than 206 million people in 81 states need urgent humanitarian aid. Some donors responded by paying 29 billion dollars during 2018. Estimates indicate that there is an increase in the percentage of those who need assistance while financial grants from states to the United Nations organizations and other relief groups are reduced.

In addition, the report warned that international relief organizations are in difficult financial situation and they suffer from discrimination based on political grounds in some regions. Several initiatives have emerged in Europe from right-wing parties calling for cutting funds used for development and transferring it to pension funds.

The report discussed the risks of the poor funding of international relief organizations in light of the increase in the number of migrants and asylum seekers and the aggravation of humanitarian crisis in disaster and conflict-torn zones around the world.

The report included several focus issues: the risk of underfunding, the unprecedented increase in the number of refugees and displaced persons, the crisis’ impact on children, and the financial crisis of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The report recommended countries all over the world, especially donor countries, to bear their responsibilities by complying with their financial pledges towards international relief organizations in light of the increasing need for their humanitarian programs around the world.

The report urged relief organizations to rationalize and control expenditures, and to set more transparent monitoring mechanisms to disburse their own budgets.

It called on the United Nations to make serious efforts in raising the necessary voluntary contributions for humanitarian programs by states and to rely on greater expenditure control mechanisms and focus on priorities. In addition, the UN should not risk lives of civilians in conflict-areas for intensified humanitarian intervention by depending on raising voluntary contributions, which is the responsibility of both the UN and its relevant organizations.

The Euro-Med Monitor’s report stressed the need to agree on a more effective international mechanism to meet the needs of international relief organizations with a definite and agreed upon timeframe and not to wait more which may lead to further aggravation of the humanitarian situation.

Full Report, Here