Christian Aid has welcomed the commitment by major aid donors and NGOs to ensure 25 per cent of humanitarian funding goes directly to local organisations on the front line of disaster relief.
A key part of the ‘Grand Bargain’, agreed by 15 big donors and 15 big development agencies at the summit in Istanbul, the pledges will see more money going to where it is needed.
Michael Mosselmans, Head of Humanitarian Policy at Christian Aid said: “This is a significant step forward. Currently local agencies only directly receive about 0.3 per cent so a jump to 25 per cent by 2020 is a big deal. Ultimately this is a recognition that the world needs to put more power into the hands of those communities affected by humanitarian disasters.
“The key will be holding donors accountable for the pact they agreed in Istanbul. Warm words now will mean nothing to the next victims of a humanitarian crisis if they are not backed up with action. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating.”
Mosselmans praised the summit organisers and the impressive number of pledges from different organisations to improve the humanitarian system.
He said: “The vast array of pledges are to be welcomed but the question will be how those making the commitments will be held accountable between now and 2020. Government pledges will translate to the UN General Assembly in September but keeping track of the other commitments will be more difficult.
“At the very least we need the UN General Assembly resolution to lay out the concrete steps showing progress between now and the stock taking in 2020.”
“It was also encouraging to see the issue of gender taking up a prominent role in discussions at the summit but disappointing that this wasn’t included more formally in the Grand Bargain. As humanitarian policies and practices are developed following the summit it’s vital that the different impacts on women, men, boys and girls, are more fully addressed.
“Overall a meeting in Turkey won’t change the lives of vulnerable people in itself. The hard work starts now.”
* Christian Aid http://www.christianaid.org.uk/index.aspx
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