Yesterday, the new UN refugee chief discussed the different solutions to the global refugee crisis with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General, Jan Egeland, and several NRC Country Directors, at the Conference on Solutions to Displacement in Oslo.
Increasing restrictions to humanitarian access in many warzones make it more and more difficult for international NGOs to reach communities in need, and has led to the death of many humanitarian workers along the way. Carsten Hansen, NRC’s Regional Director for the Middle East, recounted the biggest challenges of humanitarian workers in Syria:
“Because of the ongoing and shrinking space for humanitarian access, operating in Syria has never been more difficult, complicated and dangerous. We are working in a warzone where conflict lines are shifting. We see borders rising and Syrian colleagues who don’t have access any longer,” says Hansen.
NRC’s Secretary General, Jan Egeland, said many communities in Syria would have been easier to access if international groups had acted three years earlier, instead of now. Today the rise of additional parties and armed groups on the ground has made reaching people increasing challenging.
“The international community is not able to give the attention or assistance that people struck by war and disaster deserve. We have to think differently and we have to do more,” says Jan Egeland.
Over 60 million people were displaced last year, surpassing the aftermath of World War Two. Despite this, world leaders are closing their borders to keep refugees out, forcing desperate families into the hands of smugglers.
About 180,000 refugees and migrants reached Europe by sea so far this year, according to the UN refugee agency. Over 760 lost their lives or went missing while attempting the long and dangerous journey.
Grandi advised that Europe takes a cooperative approach to resolve the refugee crisis. Its many borders mean that the whole system has to be recrafted. “We are asking governments to be very thorough in determining refugee standards,” cautions Filippo Grandi.
Last week, 41 people were saved from a sunken boat in the Mediterranean Sea, which reportedly took as many as 500 lives, according to UNHCR. This tragic accident could have been prevented if a safer, legal passage for refugees was created. NRC and UNHCR will continue to pressure European governments to rethink the current asylum policy and its consequences on innocent families fleeing war.
