Tag: Humanitarian Aid

Eine politische Naturkatastrophe in Nordwestsyrien – das Erdbeben und das Versagen der internationalen Gemeinschaft

Written on 16. February 2023. Posted in Deutsch.

In den frühen Morgenstunden des 6. Februar verwüsteten ein Erdbeben der Stärke 7.8 und mehrere Nachbeben das syrisch-türkische Grenzgebiet. Fast 40.000 Menschen haben bisher in beiden Ländern ihr Leben verloren, darunter mehr als 3500 in Syrien. Ein weiterer Anstieg der Todeszahlen wird befürchtet. Die bisherigen Schätzungen legen nahe, dass die meisten Toten und Verletzten innerhalb Syriens im von Rebellen kontrollierten Nordwesten des Landes zu beklagen sind, der schon zuvor durch Jahre des Krieges und der gezielten Zerstörung von Infrastruktur durch die syrische Regierung und Russland extrem gelitten hatte. Erneut hat die internationale Gemeinschaft die Menschen in Nordwestsyrien im Stich gelassen.

Foodies of the World Unite: World Food Day Reminds us to Politicize Nutrition

Written on 16. October 2020. Posted in English.

16 October is World Food Day. This year, spotlights are guaranteed because the United Nations World Food Program just received the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. Despite these high levels of attention on food, the political and economic structures driving global production and consumption habits remain in the dark. Food has become a heavily individualized aspect of life. But who likes to eat alone?

Corona und die humanitäre Situation in Syrien: Die drohende Katastrophe in der Katastrophe

Written on 2. April 2020. Posted in Corona Crises, Deutsch, Series.

In der aktuellen Berichterstattung über die COVID-19-Pandemie wird kaum über das Schicksal derer berichtet, für die die Coronaviruskrise eine dramatische Verschlechterung ihrer ohnehin oft hoffnungslosen Situation bringen könnte: Vertriebene, Flüchtlinge, Menschen in Konfliktgebieten. Die Corona-Krise droht existierende humanitäre Krisen zu verschärfen. Ein Blick auf Nordsyrien zeigt, dass ein COVID-19-Ausbruch in solchen Situationen einerseits neue Konflikte hervorrufen und andererseits die COVID-19-Pandemie selbst weiter verschärfen könnte.

How Germany advocates for the protection of aid workers in the Security Council

Written on 14. May 2019. Posted in English, Germany in the UN Security Council 2019-20.

Germany has made the facilitation of humanitarian aid to one of its headline goals for its 2-year seat on the UN Security Council from 2019-2020, and a main theme for its shared Security Council Presidency with France in March and April this year. With this move, Germany decidedly contributed to make the delivery of relief to suffering populations an issue of ‘high politics’. It gives humanitarian aid the salience it deserves, given the rising need of people in humanitarian crises, as well as the constant violation of humanitarian law. Germany in particular focuses on protecting aid workers by promoting the humanitarian principles. However, this approach is insufficient and contradicted by other international humanitarian aid policies.

Turning a blind eye? The rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean

Written on 9. April 2019. Posted in English, PRIF Spotlight.

In recent years, the waters of the Mediterranean have become an unmarked grave for a myriad of migrants who drowned during their desperate attempt to reach Europe by boat. Urgent steps are needed to stop this humanitarian crisis. Addressing the root causes, including poverty and civil war, which force or prompt people to attempt the dangerous journey is crucial but time-intensive. In the short term, European governments need to reverse their current policies and either substantially increase their own Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts or facilitate the operations of NGOs engaged in saving people at sea.

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