Syria's humanitarian disaster

The UN humanitarian appeal for Syria, launched today in Geneva, is the largest in the history of the organization: US $4.4 billion, to cover the basic needs up to the end of the year. This stunning figure gives a clear indication of the size of the humanitarian disaster that is taking place in Syria and in the refugee camps, just outside the country.  The survival of about 50% of Syria’s population is at risk.

Is the appeal going to be responded to? Very often these days such calls are addressed to ears that pretend to be deaf. Let’s see, for instance, if all those governments that have been very quick at approving the supply of arms to both sides in conflict are as fast when it comes to the humanitarian dimensions. 

Afghanistan: more coherence within the international community

One of my friends called my attention to the recent attacks against international organisations in Afghanistan. In both cases –International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – the Taliban targeted organisations that had signed a memorandum of understanding with the NATO-led force ISAF.

This coincidence sounds very much like a message being sent by the extremists. The message back should then be very clear: it should be about a greater degree of coherence and unity within the international community, around a shared political agenda. That’s actual the only way forward in Afghanistan. Now and after 2014.