The conflict in Ukraine puts humanitarian aid in check in the world

If nothing changes, the war in Ukraine will become “in the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe after World War II”, endangering the lives of millions of people as well as humanitarian aid to other countries, says the president of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), Francesco Rocca.

“If we help more in a crisis, there will be fewer resources for other crises, and those who are going to pay the consequences are, as always, the least prepared to face the challenges”, warns Rocca, who is in Bogotá for an inter-American meeting of the organization.

Currently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine affects some 18 million people – almost a third of the country’s population – of which two million are refugees who have fled the bombing while Europe prepares for an unforeseen humanitarian crisis.

Rocca, Italian lawyer and president of the IFRC since 2017, insists on the call to establish humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and the transport of goods to Ukraine and warns about the need for political leaders to make decisions to reverse the situation.

What impact will the conflict in Ukraine have on other humanitarian crises?

When it comes to resources, these do not last forever, so if we help more in one crisis there will be fewer resources for others, and those who will pay the consequences are, as always, the least prepared to face the challenges.

The budget of donors and families who normally support the Red Cross or other humanitarian organizations is not unlimited, so of course someone will pay the price for this, unless political leaders find solutions.

Were they prepared for a crisis of this magnitude?

We always talk about preparation and being prepared, but when something like what is happening in Ukraine starts, no one is really prepared. As no one, for example, was prepared for COVID-19 or the great catastrophes that the world is experiencing.

In countries neighboring Ukraine -Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania-, volunteers work 24 hours a day receiving refugees. And although as an organization we do not have as much experience in that part of Europe, they are facing it with the humanity that accompanies us in our work.

The Russian Red Cross is also working on the border with the more than 200,000 displaced people from Ukraine and they have already set up a reception center. The same thing is happening in all the national Red Cross societies neighboring Ukraine.

Another of the big focuses are the warehouses, which we already have in Romania and are thinking of installing in Poland, to support the logistics chain and facilitate the entry of goods into Ukraine, something very important in a conflict.

What are your main focuses of action?

Support people in a very difficult situation: those fleeing bombing, those living in shelters, everyone. For this humanitarian corridors are necessary.

When we talk about humanitarian corridors, of course the first thing that comes to mind is to evacuate those who want to leave the country, but have another objective: to bring goods and food.

How many affected are there at the moment?

We are talking about 18 million people – a third or so of the Ukrainian population – affected by the conflict, and not all of them are going to leave the country, so we must provide everything necessary to those who remain.

That is why we request the humanitarian corridors from both parties, to allow humanitarian aid to enter and to attend to the civilian victims of the conflict.

However, we leave the figures to the governments because, unfortunately, they have become a propaganda system in one way or another. That’s why we stick to the facts: we need humanitarian corridors.

What is assuming for Europe a crisis of this caliber?

I think that finally, as Europeans, we understand what it means to flee from wars and conflicts. In Europe, before the Ukraine conflict, when it came to refugees and migrants, we were very polarized and we forgot about the dignity of human beings.

Every State has the right to protect its borders, but when it comes to the dignity of human beings, we are all equal, there is no nationality. Human beings are human beings.

The media also has an important role in this; it all depends on how the stories are told. This is important because what is the difference between someone who is fleeing Nigeria from Boko Haram violence or other places that are experiencing internal conflict, living under the pressure of violence and guns, and Ukraine? None.

The media is playing an important role in building the narrative about what is happening, explaining what people are running from. You will not find any migrant who is happy to abandon their roots, they are happy because they are fleeing violence, but not because they are fleeing their homes.

What does the future hold for Ukraine?

The situation is very unstable, but if it continues like this it will be the biggest catastrophe after the Second World War for Europe.

Although human beings are willing to support each other, especially in the darkest moments, if we talk about politicians and leaders, I am not sure about it.