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Following news that 235-million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2021, the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) is looking to the government to do its ‘fair share’ to help people most in need.
Responding to the recent publication of the UN’s Global Humanitarian Overview for 2021, ACFID’s CEO, Marc Purcell said: “This is a very troubling report. Covid-19 has added a layer of adversity to people already in crisis, increasing the number of people who need lifesaving assistance by 40%.”
He added: “In 2021, one in every 33 people around the world will require humanitarian assistance and, as Australians, we cannot turn our backs.”
According to Purcell, the Australian Government has acted generously to help the country’s immediate neighbours respond to Covid. But it now needs to extend that generosity and commit to the UN’s call.
“The Prime Minister has reiterated that Australia will not be a bystander in the global system and the Foreign Minister is seeking an ‘ambitious pursuit’ of our priorities in that system,” Purcell stated.
“We should not leave it to others to shape the world we want to see.”
The UN’s 2021 Global Humanitarian Overview document outlines that next year USD $35-billion will be required to help 160-million people most in need across 56 countries.
It found that the highest humanitarian needs remain in countries experiencing protracted crises. These include Yemen, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Afghanistan.
ACFID says the government is yet to realise its own 2017 commitment of $500-million in annual humanitarian commitments and the organisation is concerned that Australia is walking away from providing multi-year packages to respond to protracted crises – a vital characteristic of a leading donor.
“In a year when Afghanistan saw 42 percent of its population facing emergency levels of food insecurity, Australia decreased its funding to the country by 35 percent,” Purcell said.
“As a partner in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and peace-building, we should be providing ongoing development and humanitarian assistance to help rebuild the country.”