The Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum (RIHF) concluded its meetings on Monday in the Saudi capital with a workshop on Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations' (YCHO) plan, in addition to a high-level session on relief in conflict zones and means of developing humanitarian action on a comprehensive level.
The third high-level session discussed innovation and restructuring in the humanitarian sector.
US Agency for International Development (USAID) Counselor Thomas Staal explained that humanitarian needs have changed over the past 20 years and that traditional methods of humanitarian work are no longer viable, which requires developing them.
Executive Director of Mercy Corps Simon O'Connell, for his part, revealed that his organization has been working in more than 40 countries around the world, including South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria and others.
O’Connell explained that 1.5 billion people in the world live in conflict areas, costing the world economy $40 billion annually.
He criticized the lack of confidence of some parties in the role of non-governmental relief organizations that work to achieve noble humanitarian goals.
He pointed out that the aid is no longer limited to providing or delivering food support.
“Due to the conflicts and the diversity of differences in large parts of the world, aids have tended to be more comprehensive to provide social and psychological assistance," he explained.
Staal did not hide his concern about the difficulty of humanitarian work and relief worldwide as a result of the deteriorating security situation and increased tensions in some countries.
Executive Director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program Peter Salama addressed the humanitarian situation in Iraq, where he mentioned examples of the suffering of more than one million people in 2017 due to ISIS practices.
Salama said that this number was last seen by the organization since World War II, noting that WHO has dealt with more than 20 thousand Iraqi civilians and contributed to saving the lives of two thousand people there.
He condemned the targeting of doctors and nurses in areas of conflict, which hinders humanitarian work and the provision of medical services.
"We are working in 28 countries around the world, including Yemen, southern Sudan and Iraq," he added, commenting on the lack of financial resources and the difficulty of reaching the targets in crisis areas and stressing the importance of leadership in the field of humanitarian work.
