NEWSDESK
The European Commission endeavours to keep the international spotlight on crises, for example in Burma, so beneficiaries carry on getting the help they need.
[Photo: Antoine Lemasson, European Commission Humanitarian Aid department]
What is a forgotten crisis?
Simon Horner: A forgotten crisis is a severe and long-term crisis where the people in need are not receiving any aid or are receiving insufficient aid. These are conflicts that have slipped off the media radar screens and, as a result, gradually disappear from public consciousness as well. The pressure on governments and aid agencies to "do something" then inevitably fades, skewing the relief system towards those whose tragedies are still graphically portrayed in the media.
Where are these forgotten crises taking place?
SH: There are forgotten humanitarian crises all over the world: In Africa we have for example the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria, in Asia the Rohingya people from Burma/Myanmar who sought refuge in Bangladesh come to mind, and in Latin America the many tens of thousands Colombians who are displaced in their own country qualify as a forgotten crises.
How can Colombia be considered forgotten given the huge amount of media coverage it has received over the past year?
SH: It is true that Colombia has been in the international news. However, while specific events have been reported there, little has been written about how the humanitarian consequences of that crisis.
What is the European Commission doing to make sure these humanitarian crises are not forgotten?
SH: The Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), is in a unique position amongst the major donors in that it has aid experts permanently in the field who are often on the front-line of a humanitarian crisis. That presence means that ECHO has a good understanding of the reality on the ground, information which can be used by headquarters in Brussels to carry out crucial advocacy work.
What success has ECHO had in making sure these crises are not forgotten?
SH: In addition to our financial support to victims of such crises, the mere fact that the European Commission is highlighting these crises helps to raise awareness that they are there. This encourages international media as well as the domestic media of crisis-affected countries to look more deeply at the issues involved. Ultimately, it is a challenge to keep often long-lasting forgotten humanitarian crises in the international spotlight, but the Commission and ECHO will continue to work hard at doing just that.
In 2009, the following crises have been identified by ECHO as forgotten crises:
The inter-ethnic conflict in Burma/Myanmar: the populations that are displaced internally and Burmese refugees in Thailand. The populations affected by cyclone Nargis.
The populations affected by the internal armed conflict in Colombia.
The populations affected by the conflict in the north of Yemen.
The Sahrawi refugees in Algeria.
The populations in India affected by the various conflicts in Kashmir, North East India, as well as the conflict relating to the Naxalite demands.
The Rohingya refugees and the Chittagong Hill Tracts crisis in Bangladesh.
Media & Humanitarianism
Talking points
Algeria
Colombia
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
Yemen
