Together We Stand

[ 18 ] T ogether W e S tand but also the report and further studies by the High Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, provide a solid basis to work on. As regards humanitarian effectiveness, calls for the localiza- tion of humanitarian response are justified. Whenever possible, humanitarian action should be planned, initiated and conducted in close consultation with affected states and peoples. Localized response ensures that needs are defined more accurately, are more user-friendly and tailor-made, and that local economies and structures are also utilized and reinforced. In this context, community-based approaches should be implemented with the use of local resources. This would help to better take into account the cultural specificities of affected peoples as well. The role of local authorities and municipalities could be better explored in view of their comparative advantages in preparedness and response to emergencies in urban settings. From delivering aid to ending need A purely humanitarian approach to recurrent and protracted crises in fragile and conflict-affected areas has proven to offer only short-term relief to affected populations. The lessons learned so far have clearly shown the growing importance of the humanitarian-development nexus. More often than not, the same humanitarian needs are addressed repeatedly without considera- tion of the root causes of such crises. The joint and concerted implementation of humanitarian and development assistance programmes, in close consultation and cooperation with local authorities and affected populations, is the efficient way to address recurrent and protracted crises. A multi-year planning approach, instead of one-off operations, is crucial in this respect. Such joint use of humanitarian and development assistance programmes, to ensure interoperability and complementarity while avoiding duplication and overlapping, has been key in Turkey’s humanitarian policy, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa where countries are suffering from recurrent humanitarian crises such as famine and drought. Particular importance is attached to non-conditionality and to the ownership of recipient countries in shaping their own development strat- egies through partner-oriented cooperation. In responding to humanitarian crises of such protracted/recurrent nature, assisting affected countries and populations simultaneously or in tandem with development assistance tools, such as basic infrastructure and human and institutional capacity-building projects, helps increase resilience. This in turn reduces vulner- ability and increases the capacity of recipient local actors to respond to humanitarian crises themselves. Serving the needs of people in conflict Humanitarian crises caused or triggered by conflicts constitute 80 per cent of the crises occurring in the present era. Such situations, involving politico-military conflicts in their back- grounds leading to protracted humanitarian crises, need to be resolved within the shortest possible time through the efforts of the United Nations. Naturally, this is part of a broader debate on the need for the reform of the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council, which does not directly fall within the purview of the World Humanitarian Summit process. Yet, what is clear is that humanitarian action cannot be a substitute for political solutions. Humanitarian action should go hand-in-hand with efforts to resolve conflicts at the political level. Even if fundamental differences of the inter- national community, including the members of the United Nations Security Council, remain unresolved with regard to a particular conflict, the issue of humanitarian access should be decoupled from prevailing political considerations. Concrete measures directed against those in leadership posi- tions responsible for violations of international humanitarian law would serve as a deterrent. Turkey supports the view that more focus should be given to the particular vulnerability of women and girls, children and people with disabilities to all forms of violence and abuse. Measures should also be taken to increase women’s voice in their communities and to reinforce the role they play in healing the wounds of their affected communities. Turkey has built temporary protection centres close to the Syrian border, offering housing and protection to several hundred thousand Syrians Each temporary protection centre is equipped with health services, as well as information, education, social and shelter services Image: Min of Foreign Affairs, Turkey Image: Min of Foreign Affairs, Turkey

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