Humanitarian needs in dozens of conflict zones from Yemen to Somalia, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are rising, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns today. The humanitarian organization fears that this pattern will continue in 2023. ICRC says for the millions of people in these conflicts reliant on humanitarian assistance greater support is desperately needed to save lives and avert further suffering.
āThere are more than 100 armed conflicts in the world today,ā said ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric. āThe civilian suffering caused by these conflicts, combined with a worsening climate emergency and rising food and energy prices, will make 2023 a year of vast humanitarian need. The global community must ensure that no conflict is left behind, or we risk many crises fading into obscurity at great cost to human life.ā
Martin SchĆ¼epp, ICRC Director of Operations, said in a related statement that there had been also a crisis of neglect. While humanitarian needs in dozens of countries were mounting, countries like Afghanistan, Somalia and Democratic Republic of the Congo were at risk of being abandoned by the international community.
The ICRC calls on the international community to ensure that all those conflicts will not become forgotten, and that the people suffering are provided with the help that they needed. Some of the humanitarian crises where needs are rising include: Somalia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sahel, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Haiti, and Ukraine.
In Somalia, drought and conflict mean increased hunger is preying on the youngest. Though fighting has now halted in northern Ethiopia, the humanitarian needs left in the wake of two years of brutal armed conflict are acute. Fighting has intensified in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo and reached the outskirts of Goma. Communities in the Sahel are caught between advancing deserts, erratic weather, and violence. Millions of people have been forced from their homes by violence in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania.
The economic situation in Afghanistan is worsening. More than half of the Afghan population, over 24 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is likely to worsen in 2023 in the absence of a de-escalation of the conflict, lack of economic improvements, and amplified impact of the climate crises. In Syria, rising cases of acute watery diarrhea add another layer to the suffering of people. Over three million people in Haiti face exacerbated humanitarian needs from protracted armed violence, civil unrest, and the resurgence of cholera cases.
Millions of people affected by Russiaās war against Ukraine are facing the coldest months of the year with limited heat and water after attacks on critical infrastructure. The most vulnerable people, including children, the elderly, injured, and people with disabilities are likely to suffer the most. Not only are they the most impacted by the elements, but also the ones with less means to find alternative sources of heat and water.
According to the humanitarian organization, āthe international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraineā has wreaked havoc on global food and energy prices. Nowhere are the impacts of rising food and energy prices felt harder than communities impacted by armed conflict and violence. For example, in 2022, ICRCās market price monitoring saw food staples rise by 45% in Ethiopia and Yemen and over 30% in Mali, Afghanistan and Somalia.
The ICRC is appealing for 2.8 billion Swiss francs (2.842 billion EUR, 2.935 billion US dollar) to fund its work in 2023.
Founded in 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross operates worldwide, helping people affected by conflict and armed violence and promoting the laws that protect victims of war. The ICRC is an independent humanitarian organization that is based in Geneva, Switzerland. The International Committee of the Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and 192 National Societies.
Further information
Full text: Humanitarian needs to deepen in dozens of conflict zones as worldās attention wanes, ICRC press release, published November 29, 2022
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/humanitarian-needs-deepen-dozens-conflict-zones-worlds-attention-wanes
Full text: Press Briefing by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, November 29, 2022
https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/bi-weekly-briefing/2022/11/press-briefing-united-nations-information-service-7
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