The global humanitarian system took a step closer towards much-needed improvement during a UN gathering of world leaders, according to anti-poverty group, ONE.

But more needs to be done to overhaul the financing of aid and long-term development to make sure they bring about stability, said ONE’s Global Policy Directory, Eloise Todd.

The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, ended today TUES after 48 hours of discussions.

Todd, who attended the summit, said: “A summit positive was the signing up by some governments to a  ‘Grand Bargain’  package of reforms to humanitarian funding to make emergency aid finance more efficient and effective, through policies such as increased multi-year financing.

“But during this time of unprecedented humanitarian crises and huge needs of people living in extreme poverty, the summit fell short of delivering the level of finance needed to tackle these twin challenges’

“Ministries and agencies are shifting money around to cover the cost of humanitarian assistance – and it’s being spread too thinly and unfairly.  Countries need to step up with a brand new deal to properly finance stability*.”

Todd said the refugee crisis was a major theme at the summit, especially with the host, Turkey,  which is at the centre of the European migration emergency.

“But as delegates leave the summit we must remind ourselves the refugee crisis is global.  Five out of 10 refugee hosting-countries are in poverty-stricken sub-Saharan Africa, and 86% of the world’s refugees originate from developing countries, which need particular support in fighting extreme poverty,” she added.
Ends

Notes to Editors:

ONE’s Financing Stability report*.

•         This short report with a foreword by Kristalina Georgieva, Vice President of the European Commission and Co-chair of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing, provides new analysis of the latest OECD/DAC figures in relation to the refugee crisis and the impact on overseas aid.
•         ONE recommends in its report that leaders seek to implement without delay increased resources to fund both long-term development and humanitarian needs in developing countries –  particularly those that are supporting refugees and fighting extreme poverty, and introduce more budget flexibility.
•         It also calls on governments to immediately stop using development assistance to fund in-donor costs, and retain the fundamental and valuable principles around development spending, and commit to greater transparency as well as greater effectiveness, through measures such as reducing management costs and more joint needs assessments.

Grand Bargain*

•         The Grand Bargain is a common set of principles that governments are being asked to agree to at the World Humanitarian Summit. It calls for a new way of coordinating and planning humanitarian aid – including multi-annual funding – making it more effective and flexible in order to meet demands.