Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence
Global Humanitarian Response: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham:
It is fascinating. The four countries are the Philippines, South Sudan, Niger in west Africa and Colombia. All four of them are vastly different in respect of the situation on the ground and the environment there. The purpose of our exercise and what we would like to better understand, as opposed to believing what we know is best for the population on the ground, is to have them tell us what they need.
From my experience this is primarily with respect to women, women-led organisation and mothers. They have to be a much more credible source of information but they also have a much better understanding of what is needed for a community to rise up and stand on its own feet as opposed to relying on humanitarian assistance year in year out. We want them to take a leadership role in this. That does mean a change of attitude among our partners, yes.
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