As the world faces multiple conflicts, it is imperative to step up international efforts to ensure the sustainability of humanitarian aid, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.
In an interview with Xinhua, Stephane Bonamy, head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Central Africa, voiced concern that humanitarian support is declining in the midst of rising violent conflicts worldwide.
“Humanitarian support is being reduced or being prioritized. We are witnessing a situation where priority is given to some situations more than others,” he said. “My fear is that with this, we are excluding certain people and also condemning certain people to continue to have to live with their suffering and the consequences without any response being given.”
Humanitarian support should be provided universally and without discrimination, Bonamy said.
Cameroon, he said, is still facing a major humanitarian crisis in the country’s Far North region where the Boko Haram terror group continues to attack civilians and soldiers, and in the Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest where a prolonged armed separatist conflict is in progress.
The ICRC has responded broadly to the needs of populations affected by conflict in those regions, including protecting civilians, supporting health facilities, assisting internally displaced people, and restoring access to essential services such as water and agriculture, Bonamy said.
In 2024 alone, the ICRC facilitated access to health care for 172,123 patients, including children under four years old, he said, noting that the organization is more concerned about the impact of its actions on individuals than the statistics.
Bonamy acknowledged that it is sometimes difficult for humanitarian organizations to access populations in need but said they were trying to minimize the risk exposure as much as possible.
“The first challenge for humanitarian workers is security and respect for the humanitarian workers who ultimately come to help, with no agenda behind them, no political agenda or anything like that. The ICRC has good relationships. The ICRC bases its action on neutrality, its independence,” he said.
The interview with Bonamy was conducted on the eve of World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, which is celebrated annually on May 8.
“May 8th is above all a reminder that at the heart of the Red Cross is voluntary commitment, and I would like to pay tribute to its national societies, particularly those that the ICRC supports in Central Africa,” he said. “They are the first to respond when there are people in need of assistance, and they are the ones who deserve to be applauded.” Enditem
Source: Xinhua
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