Stand Up and Be Counted: Urgent Action Needed for Global Humanitarian Aid
Demands Adequate Financing for Project Advancement (Venro) - Commission requested to deliver comprehensive report on the execution of the program.
Listen up, people! Here's the harsh reality: crises around the world are brewing, and it's time for us to step up! Wars, climate change, and political instability have left more than 300 million hearts aching for aid. More than 100 million souls have been kicked out of their homes and are on the move. Yet, donor countries are throwing in the towel on international development financing!
That's where Venro swoops in, sounding the alarm and demanding some serious bills be plunked down. They're calling for €2.2 billion for humanitarian aid from the Federal Foreign Office and an eye-popping €11.2 billion for the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for the year 2024.
Why all the fuss? Germany, the economic powerhouse, has failed time and time again to meet its internationally promised 0.7% of GNI for development aid, barely hitting 0.66% in 2024, the lowest level since 2020! And if that ain't bad enough, further cuts would be downright reckless, according to Venro CEO, Herbst. Development policy plays a vital role in safeguarding our economy and those precious jobs relying on our reputation and allies in the global South.
But it ain't all doom and gloom. One study from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) reveals a promising savings scheme: every U.S. dollar invested in crisis prevention yields a whopping 25 U.S. dollars in savings on crisis management. We need political vision, not a cheap shot at cutting costs!
Feeling inspired by our commitment to save the world? Thirty organizations, including Bread for the World, Care Germany, Caritas international, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, Kindernothilfe, One, Oxfam, Save the Children, Welthungerhilfe, and World Vision, signed an appeal to our dear federal government to swim against the tide and invest in a fairer world. Their common goal? Give the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a fighting chance by 2030!
Got an itch to take action? An alliance of development policy organizations is calling for a protest action in front of the Chancellery, smack in the middle of the cabinet's budget negotiations. Not convinced? Consider this: cutting corners today leads to crises tomorrow. One, for example, pleads for"more, not less investments in the fight against poverty, hunger, preventable diseases, climate change, and humanitarian crises."
International development policy has never been more vital but apparently, economies are still busy tugging at their military belts instead of lifting the yokes off starving people's necks! Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ain't mincing his words, warning about the disastrous consequences of this trend and echoing the call for Germany to step up in the global development aid arena.
Don't sit idly on the sidelines! Lend your voice, invest, and let's build a better, brighter, and fairer world together. Our future depends on it!
- The community and employment policies should be addressed concurrently, as both are crucial in the fight against the global crisis.
- Science, environmental-science, and climate-change studies can provide valuable insights to guide effective humanitarian aid and development policy.
- Businesses and politicians must collaborate to prioritize the investment in humanitarian aid, as itcan have positive implications for the economy and job market.
- General news outlets should cover not only the economic aspects of the global humanitarian crisis but also the political and environmental dimensions, as each plays a significant role in shaping the future.
