Davos 2016: Humanitarian, philanthropic and insurance leaders call for “paradigm shift” in global response to crises | WPN World People News

In the face of escalating humanitarian needs and costs, the heads of three of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations, along with senior representatives from leading philanthropic and insurance organizations have called for a “paradigm shift” in the world’s approach to humanitarian assistance.

The Secretary General of the IFRC, Elhadj As Sy, said that governments and aid organizations needed to place greater emphasis on reducing suffering, rather than simply raising more and more resources.

“Over the past decade, the number of people who rely on humanitarian assistance has more than tripled while the cost of responding has increased six-fold,” said Mr Sy. “Our answer cannot be more of the same. We need to take a longer view, and use more of the resources available to us to strengthen resilience of communities to be better equipped for the threats that we know they will face.”

Ertharin Cousin, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) said: “Disasters are the leading cause of hunger; reducing risk and building resilience are prerequisites to sustainable development and our ability to create a world with Zero Hunger.”

Tony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF said that “sustainable development requires resilient development. As the planet continues to warm, development gains will be eroded unless nations and communities become more resilient. Thus the importance of this coalition.”

These comments came at an event held Friday to promote the One Billion Coalition for Resilience. This initiative, which brings together aid organizations, governments, the private sector, academia and community groups, aims over the coming 10 years, to support 1 billion people to take action to strengthen their safety, health and well-being.

“Crisis is the new normal, and the confluence of globalization, urbanization, and climate change impact creates an imperative to build resilience today, to minimize the number of people who are vulnerable – or even more vulnerable – tomorrow,” said Dr. Zia Khan, Vice President for Initiatives and Strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Rockefeller Foundation has already invested more than USD 500 million to building resilience globally, and we know that collaborating is the best way to do it.”

“Zurich can provide resources, skills and expertise to help the most vulnerable people but we cannot do it alone. We therefore look to collaborate with organizations that can bring complementary skills and expertise to the table.” added Cecilia Reyes, Zurich Insurance’s Chief Risk Officer & Regional Chairman of Asia Pacific.

The IFRC is the convener of the One Billion Coalition. However, ownership of the initiative lies with the people and communities taking action on their own behalf, working with partners and Governments, businesses and research institutions committed to building community resilience in collaboration.

Source: United Nations Children's Fund