World leaders warned war and civil unrest is exacerbating humanitarian crises around the world
Governments failing to address causes of conflicts and disasters is leading to the suffering of millions of people, a leading charity has warned ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.
The meeting, which is the first of its kind, is intended to improve the way the world responds to humanitarian crises.
But reform will only have a limited impact if governments fail to address the underlying causes of the crises and the systematic violation of human rights and the laws of war which are meant to protect civilians, aid agency Oxfam has warned.
The warning comes as 125 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, more than 60 million are fleeing war, conflict and persecution, and climate change is making disasters more frequent and severe.
The lack of adequate response from the UK and European governments to the more than a million refugees and other migrants who arrived in Europe over the last year has compounded the suffering.
Mark Goldring, Oxfam GB chief executive, said: “This summit needs to be more than an expensive talking shop by tackling the repeated failure of governments to resolve conflicts and end the culture of impunity in which civilians are killed without consequence.
“Governments continue to put their short term interests, including the sale of arms that fuel conflicts, ahead of long term stability and the protection of human life.
Rich nations cannot wash their hands of the suffering for which they are partly responsible - Mark Goldring
This failure to protect civilians and bring peace is the cause of much of the suffering faced by refugees, and those displaced within their own borders he added.
“Rich nations cannot wash their hands of the suffering for which they are partly responsible and do more to take in their fair share of the world’s most vulnerable people."
Oxfam says action is needed to bring peace, ensure the laws of war are enforced and reverse the rising tide of climate-related disasters.
Goldring added: “Recent moves such as the EU-Turkey deal and the plans to outsource EU border controls to African countries with dubious human rights records set a dangerous precedent, horse trading the rights of refugees in order to keep them from our doorstep and shirking responsibility for their welfare.
“Last week, the Kenyan government pointed to the example of European countries turning away Syrian refugees when it announced the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp.
“The UK government is to be commended for its generosity and maintaining its aid budget in the face of frequent criticism but this doesn’t excuse it from its responsibilities.”
Oxfam acknowledges that it too must change, along with other NGOs and UN agencies, in the face of escalating humanitarian demands – including by giving a greater role and more funding directly to local organisations in responding to emergencies.
