Humanitarian aid: the last mile becomes increasingly longer

At Eesc the humanitarian organizations’ work was discussed, rendered more difficult by the cutting of ¼ of the EU funds targeted for international cooperation

New hardships in Europe, crisis, cuts to humanitarian aid, human dignity as objective.  The European Economic and Social Committee (Eesc) hosted a debate in Brussels with the title “The last mile: at the heart of development” organized by the AVSI foundation (Volunteer Association for International Service) involved in humanitarian projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America to discuss Europe’s role in sustainable development in this difficult economic period.

The foundation, present in 39 countries around the world, operates mostly in the socio-educational sectors, urban development, healthcare, employment, agriculture, food and water safety, energy and the environment, humanitarian aid and migration, reaching more than 4,000,000 beneficiaries.

The work of the humanitarian organizations is rendered, but is more difficult since the recent cut of ¼ of the EU funds earmarked for international cooperation. In any case, there is plenty of controversy about the ineffectiveness of the European projects financed in the last few years. Alberto Piatti of AVSI pointed out that what renders humanitarian aid efficient is keeping the one who needs help as the principal objective. “The starting point of development is the person and the final objective of aid is the person. In the last century the EU tried to create a structure but the real problem is the last mile – that is reaching the finish line – the people.”

Luca Jahier, President of Various Interests Group under the European Economic and Social Committee explained that they “realized that all official EU documents in the last 15 years forgot about cooperation. They have to find local projects that help the countries sustain themselves. This must be the European project for 2015 and in the future.” According to the debate participants, what is important is the involvement of labor unions, civil society, and local authorities, national and international together to collaborate for a sustainable humanitarian plan.

People, families, the community must remain the center of the projects. One cannot think about the development of people with whom you have never come in contact. For example, Meeting Point International, AVSI’s association partner in Uganda, whose founder Rose Busingye participated in the debate in Brussels, involves more than 2,000 women directly in their projects, even HIV positive ones, who as “outsiders” have become promoters of a radical change in their district: they work, they sustain each other, they wanted a quality school for their children because for them education is key to emancipation.  Rose Busingye’s organization works in one of the poorest areas of Kampala, the Ugandan capital, where people die every day from family conflict or incurable illnesses often for lack of adequate and too expensive medicine. The Director of Meeting Point International described that in these extreme conditions of poverty a climate of solidarity is established even with countries far away “poor men who work smashing rocks for days, sent their proceeds to the earthquake victims in Aquila.” “The heart of man is international; it does not have a color” concluded Busingye.

Thijs Berman, European Parliamentarian in the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, represents the Institutes at the debate, asked himself “which value added by the EU respects other participants? We cannot – the Euro Deputy sustained – have the same role we had in the past; we must have a more political and less technocratic role. Europe must endeavor to work to promote solidarity, to help small farmers, and for advanced technology. They must ensure man’s liberty will become ever more a common thing.”

Jahier concluded with an incentive: “It is true that we have a role in cooperation and despite the burdensome economic crisis that crosses the member states, it must remain a priority. When Africa is in your heart it will never leave.”

Irene Giuntella

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