The International Rescue Committee (IRC) released a report this month forecasting a sharp global increase in the humanitarian crisis in 2024. In its 2024 Emergency Watch list, IRC President David Miliband wrote, “it’s the worst of times.”
The report lists armed conflicts, rising debt crisis, climate change and donor apathy as contributing factors to what it described as “heightened” humanitarian crisis in 2024. Eleven of the 20 countries reported as high risk of experiencing worsening Humanitarian outcomes are Sub-Saharan African nations. The ongoing war in Sudan made the nation the most vulnerable with South Sudan coming second in the emergency watch list.
“Empowering women, ‘people-first’ banking for people displaced, climate adaptation strategies and a fight against impunity might be the best antidote to the impending crisis,” Miliband said.
Dechasa Hirpessa, the peace and advocacy officer at the Evangelical Fellowship Churches of Ethiopia (ECFE) reflected on the growing humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia.
“Regrettably, food aid assistance to Ethiopia had been suspended by most humanitarian agencies at the time of our intervention, exacerbating an already dire situation,” Hirpessa said. “The resulting scarcity has placed the health and well-being of IDPs at great risk with over 2.2 million individuals, displaced by the war, struggling for survival in Tigray.”
With support from Giving Hands Germany in collaboration with the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Business Coalition, the national evangelical alliance in Ethiopia formulated a crisis response aimed at those most affected by the conflict in Welo area, Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia.
“Our project’s swift response provided essential sustenance to 950 households, ultimately saving thousands of lives,” he said.
Jude Simion is the CEO of Philoi Global – an organization that responds to the humanitarian gaps of persecuted minorities through relief, relocation, and resettlement. He is also a member of the global leadership team of the Refugee Highway Partnership. He affirmed the Church’s responsibility to care for the aliens, widows and orphans.
“Unlike the aid agencies, the Church journeys with the displaced, it is among the displaced, first to respond and it never leaves the community. Aid agencies may come and go depending on donor tractions, but the local church remains among the people.”
Simon further expounded on the attention needed to address the impacts of forcible displacement on food, security and livelihoods while speaking during the Refugee Highway Partnership Global leadership meetings in Helsinki held from December 16-19, 2023. He said, “When we think of the emerging humanitarian crisis, the impact is not only limited to the forcibly displaced communities, but it also significantly affects the host communities especially in Africa. Donor fatigue, and funding limitations affects displaced populations.”
According to Simon, durable solutions for forcible displacement should be based on enabling the host communities, facilitating returning possibilities through peace building and rebuilding efforts. Ultimately, he added, “We should not forget, not even one percent of the global displaced population get to resettle in the western world, and it should not be the ultimate solution. Ninety percent of the refugees are hosted by the developing world.”
