Over 12 years of conflict, Syria experienced unfathomable devastation that affected communities across the country. Then, in early February, a major earthquake struck. Loved ones died as homes were turned into rubble.
During my visit to Syria days after the earthquake, I saw a country drained by the effects of long-term conflict also having to deal with the impacts of a natural disaster. People in affected communities there want nothing more than to raise families in good health, happiness and safety.
Millions of people in the Middle East are burdened with the struggle to overcome the cumulative effects of protracted armed conflict, Covid-19, financial struggles and climate change. In Iraq, too many people live with the risk posed by unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war, even as the negative effects of climate change increase. In Yemen, funding challenges complicate efforts to surmount the devastation of the fighting there.
Amid a global shortfall in humanitarian funding, it is clear that communities in need are not receiving the assistance they deserve. We at the International Committee of the Red Cross will continue striving to provide neutral, humanitarian support, including in highly politicised environments, to all those in need, including in the best interests of Syrians, Yemenis and Palestinians. But to be perceived as neutral, we need the financial and political support of all states everywhere, not just the handful that now fund most of our budget.
Here is one example of the value of a reliable neutral body – this month the ICRC is helping to facilitate the release of nearly 900 detainees held in relation to the conflict in Yemen, carrying out the wishes of the parties as a neutral intermediary. Another example is Al Hol camp in Syria where we work to help stranded children who retain basic rights, no matter what acts their parents may have carried out.
Across Syria, the basic services necessary for survival, such as clean water, heating, health care, and electricity, were already weak. In situations like these, millions of people across the country could be at risk of disease. Last year alone, we assisted more than 16.5 million Syrians gain access to clean water. However, the earthquake amplified these concerns. We must therefore work to reinforce fragile essential infrastructure in the short and long-term.
Another crucial factor to being able to help all communities in need in Syria is having full humanitarian access. We have called for the de-politicisation of aid to prioritise saving lives.
Some countries have shown tremendous generosity in the wake of the earthquake. The UAE, for instance, responded quickly with offers of assistance. However, despite the solidarity, an overall decrease in funding globally for Syria has become a dire concern. In fact, last year Syria was our most under-funded operation globally. As the world turns its attention to other crises, the people of Syria are left to struggle. We must alleviate their suffering and do everything possible to help them rebuild.
Natural disasters are not the only exacerbating condition for communities in armed conflict. The negative effects of climate change and environmental degradation are rising in the region. Despite this vulnerability, communities suffering from conflict in the region are too often excluded from efforts to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change.
In Iraq, the threat of climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also an economic one. It poses a serious long-term challenge as the country witnesses increasing occurrences of high temperatures, frequent droughts and intense dust storms. The country’s agricultural sector is also threatened by the process of desertification and rising salinity levels.
This environmental degradation is taking place alongside the visible effects of conflict. Remnants of war, such as unexploded weapons and mines, continue to harm wildlife and render land unusable.
The Middle East has not been spared from the far-reaching effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Many countries rely heavily on food imports from the two countries, which produce 25 per cent of the world’s wheat and grain. This effect is felt most acutely among vulnerable populations already grappling with increasing food insecurity. The rising prices of essential foods and fuel are exacerbating the plight of millions in the region, including in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, all of which are experiencing economic crises.
These countries, their people and their humanitarian needs are not just a matter of statistics and figures. Behind every number is a person with a story and a life that has been disrupted by violence and other compounding circumstances. Even in the face of such suffering, many people affected by armed conflict are also the first to help in their own communities, often as volunteers of national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the key operational partners of the ICRC.
In Yemen, the conflict has affected civilian life in every aspect. The conflict has already received less attention than other global crises and has virtually disappeared from headlines, leaving the country to fall further down the priority list. Funding shortfalls are a reality. To prevent a catastrophic tipping point, sustained and longer-term support for Yemen is crucial.
Yet, there are glimmers of hope. Amid the ongoing turmoil in Yemen, nearly 900 detainees from the conflict are preparing to reunite with their loved ones during Ramadan. The ICRC has taken on the role of a neutral intermediary facilitating the release, transfer and repatriation of these detainees. Even more wait to be released, but for now, every detainee returned home is a cause for celebration for each of those families.
For decades, the Middle East has been burdened by armed conflicts that have caused immense human suffering and displacement. Yet, despite the enormous humanitarian needs of the region, funding remains insufficient.
Humanitarian action alone will not solve the deep-rooted challenges the region is facing, but politics and diplomacy can, if that work focuses on people, not on security or geopolitical agendas.
Resilience is often lauded as a virtue, and none have heard it more than the people of the Middle East. However, it is not a panacea. The extent to which people are expected to be resilient in the face of instability and insecurity is unacceptable. It is a burden that no human should bear.
We must move beyond the notion of resilience and work towards creating a region where suffering is not the norm. The people of this region deserve better than a life where they are constantly forced to be strong in the face of unimaginable hardship.
