Save the Children Australia says the Federal Government's new Humanitarian Policy lays out a welcome plan to see Australia take a far greater role supporting children affected by humanitarian crises around the world but is a missed opportunity to anchor that ambition in concrete financial commitments.
Australia's new and long-awaited Humanitarian Policy was released late Tuesday the stated priorities of building readiness and preparedness, responding to crises and disasters more effectively, and reinforcing the international humanitarian system and championing reform.
These are welcome efforts from the Australian Government, coming at a time of growing need around the world due to the combined impacts of increased conflict, worsening poverty, growing climate impacts, and increasing attacks on aid workers.
However, these efforts must also be backed up by financial commitments, and it is disappointing that the new policy does not clearly articulate how Australia will fund the actions identified to address these challenges.
Save the Children, as part of the Safer World for All campaign, has called on the Federal Government to increase the aid budget to 1% of the federal budget and to increase the Humanitarian Emergency Fund to $300 million so that Australia can more adequately respond to new and emerging crises.
Save the Children Australia CEO Mat Tinkler said:
"As the Federal Government has outlined in this new policy, a number of factors including the climate crisis, rising inequality and more wars have pushed a record number of people to flee their homes and become dependent on humanitarian support. But even as the number of people in need skyrockets, we're seeing aid budgets slashed around the world and increased attacks on humanitarian workers, making it more difficult and dangerous for humanitarian organisations to respond," he said.
"Australia's commitment to champion the protection of aid workers is very welcome news, with last year the deadliest on record for aid workers, and this year on track to be even deadlier with the vast majority killed by Israeli forces in Gaza."
"We also welcome the government's plan to position Australia better to respond to sudden onset crises, especially as climate disasters and escalating wars can lead to major humanitarian crises, sometimes overnight."
"What is really missing in this policy is a serious financial investment in humanitarian aid. The current $150 million allocated annually to the Humanitarian Emergency Fund is simply not enough. Without an increase, Australia will continue to fall short in providing its fair share."
Earlier on Tuesday Save the Children Australia released new figures that found Australia's humanitarian aid contributions to six of the worst crises in the world amounted to just $101 million last financial year, including just $33.45 million to Sudan and neighbouring countries, where nearly 26 million people – almost equivalent to the population of Australia – are facing high levels of acute hunger, and no funding at all to Yemen.
"The announcement last night of $9 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen is welcome news. The dire crisis there, like many others, is often forgotten and so it is a relief to see that Australia is still willing to invest in humanitarian efforts in these places, even as crises such as in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine compete for donor countries' attention," said Mr Tinkler.
