Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham:

It gives me immense pleasure to be here in Dublin and have the opportunity to address the esteemed members of this committee. Ireland holds a unique and long-standing partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA. Over the past two days, we have been engaged in fruitful discussions with our valued partner Irish Aid, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Irish NGOs. These meetings have allowed us to delve into critical global humanitarian issues, to exchange perspectives and to discuss our accomplishments and priorities. It has been an invaluable opportunity to strengthen our collaboration and partnership.

The foundation of OCHA's mandate lies in the UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 of 1991, which outlines our role in co-ordinating the global humanitarian response shaping humanitarian policy and advocating on behalf of the humanitarian community. Guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, we collaborate with member states and humanitarian actors worldwide to delivery life-saving assistance to those most in need.

The world's humanitarian challenges continue to intensify at unprecedented levels with a staggering 25 million more people in need of assistance and protection today than at the beginning of this year. In total, about 365 million people now require humanitarian aid and protection. We have set the ambitious goal of addressing and targeting the needs of 255 million among them. It comes as no surprise that these figures have reached such alarming levels.

Conflicts persist. The current horrific humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied Palestinian territories is just one example. New crises also strike swiftly and severely, as shown by the earthquakes in Türkiye, Syria and Afghanistan, and floods in Libya and other regions this year. Meanwhile, the global climate crisis ravages the globe with relentless force, all unfolding against the backdrop of the economic and social damage inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The financial resources required to address humanitarian needs this year have soared to nearly $56 billion. However, despite the generosity of donors such as Ireland, we have managed to secure only 33% of this amount. This shortfall compels us and our humanitarian partners to confront increasingly difficult choices regarding which programmes to support, with even life-saving activities at risk of budget cuts. Our collective response is approaching a critical juncture. I will highlight three reasons for this. First, we face a dire resource deficit. The gap between humanitarian needs and available funding continues to widen. In the past five years, global humanitarian requirements have nearly doubled, surging from $27.8 billion in 2019 to $56 billion in 2023. However, as of the end of September 2023, we had received less funding compared with the same period in 2022. Humanitarian financing relies on a limited pool of just 20 donors, with the top five donors covering 65% of the funding. Regrettably, the outlook for 2024 appears even more challenging, setting the stage for the most austere financial climate in recent years. This will inevitably result in programme closures at a time when expansion is indispensable.

Second, the regions in which we operate are becoming increasingly volatile and complex. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, last year, there were 524 armed groups of humanitarian concern globally, controlling or influencing areas where approximately 175 million people resided. Additionally, we confront formidable obstacles in many regions, as some governments impose bureaucratic and administrative impediments that hinder our ability to reach their own people in need.

Third, we find ourselves being tasked with an ever-expanding scope of responsibilities, often venturing into areas where our expertise is limited. With today's protracted crises, in many instances with authorities, whether de factoor otherwise, that certain segments of the international community are reluctant to engage with, the humanitarian community is increasingly expected to provide systems and services that traditionally fall under the purview of governments. In this context, the significance of OCHA's mandate has never been more important, and our commitment to stay and deliver in challenging crises remains unwavering.

To give some examples from the past year, in Yemen, OCHA played a crucial role in mobilising international efforts, averting a potential catastrophic environmental emergency by facilitating the replacement of the Safer oil tanker. In Syria, OCHA's efforts resulted in the continuation of vital humanitarian cross-border operations, even following the non-renewal of the Security Council resolution for cross-border aid to north-west Syria. In Afghanistan, OCHA ensured that women and girls continued to have access to humanitarian assistance despite restrictions on women's participation in aid delivery by the de factoauthorities. In Ukraine, OCHA played an instrumental role in co-ordinating the implementation of the Black Sea initiative, which allowed approximately 33 million metric tonnes of Ukrainian food exports to reach global markets. OCHA acted as the secretariat for the joint co-ordination centre of this initiative in Istanbul.

Our co-ordination role significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian responses. Realising that 20% of crises can be anticipated, OCHA takes the lead in co-ordinating anticipatory action and allocates funding to deliver assistance before these crises unfold. This proactive approach not only mitigates the impact of crises but also enhances overall efficiency. Hunger, floods, droughts, and diseases, for example, cholera, are among the crises that we proactively respond to with our anticipatory action. We actively engage in diplomatic efforts and negotiations to secure humanitarian access. Our civil-military co-ordination teams and humanitarian negotiations experts engage with militaries, de facto authorities, and non-state armed groups to negotiate access and aid to besieged or hard-to-reach communities.

OCHA manages the Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, and country-based pooled funds to deliver timely life-saving assistance where it is most urgently needed. By early November this year, CERF had allocated $610 million to UN agencies and partners to provide assistance and protection across 40 countries. Some examples include the response to the earthquake in Syria and Türkiye, actions to address rising food insecurity and looming famine across 28 countries and, most recently, contribution to the response to the escalating humanitarian situation in Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territories. With unearmarked funding from generous donors like Ireland last year, CERF provided life-saving assistance to 32.7 million people across 42 countries.

The country-based pooled funds also play a crucial role in providing effective humanitarian assistance in 19 of the most challenging crises worldwide. Donors contribute flexible funding to these funds, channelled through OCHA, which is then allocated to local and international NGOs, including Irish NGOs, as well as UN agencies. By prioritising local implementing partners like community-based organisations and NGOs, OCHA empowers communities to take charge of their own situations. Their involvement includes contributing to the identification of their needs and actively participating in the implementation and monitoring of the humanitarian response. Last year, and with the generous contribution of Ireland, the funds provided assistance to 47 million people. Since 2015, OCHA has allocated more than $120 million from the country-based pooled funds to major Irish NGOs, such as Trócaire, GOAL, Concern, Self Help Africa and others across the globe.

Unearmarked funding for OCHA's core programme provides the essential flexibility to swiftly mobilise resources to places and countries where it might otherwise be challenging to respond promptly. For instance, when the earthquake struck Syria and Türkiye earlier this year, both offices were significantly underfunded, with barely 30% funding in place. A similar situation unfolded in Libya, where we were operating with less than one quarter of the required funding. In such critical scenarios, the value of unearmarked funding becomes evident, enabling OCHA to deploy within 24 hours.

In alignment with our strategic plan, OCHA is committed to drive transformation within the humanitarian system, with a primary focus on enhancing efficiency, fostering innovation, and upholding accountability to the people we serve. In this regard, OCHA is leading a process of reform of how the humanitarian system prioritises needs, empowers local communities, strengthens anticipatory action, and promotes localisation. This process includes piloting an initiative in four countries to empower affected communities and populations to assume a central role in the design of aid programmes, thereby bolstering their resilience.

Ultimately, humanitarian action is only ever a short-term solution. It cannot stand alone. Climate change, conflict and economic instability pose existential challenges that demand improved international collaboration and synergy among the humanitarian, development and peace sectors. We require increased funding for climate adaptation and political resolutions to conflicts. On climate, OCHA will establish a climate window within CERF, which will allow donors to channel climate financing through CERF. I thank Ireland for its commitment to significantly increase its climate financing, which will be pivotal in addressing climate-related challenges.

Global humanitarian needs demand unwavering commitment from governments, donors and the humanitarian community at large. It is our shared responsibility to advocate for, and actively contribute to, alleviating the suffering of those affected by crises around the globe. OCHA will remain committed to co-ordinating the global response on behalf of the humanitarian system to enable it to deliver on its mandate despite all the challenges.

I express my deep appreciation for Ireland's substantial contributions to the humanitarian system and active involvement in alleviating suffering. Whether in Africa, the Sahel or the Middle East, its contributions have been crucial in increasing our reach to affected communities. I convey our gratitude for Ireland's steadfast support to OCHA. Starting with its leadership in the OCHA donor support group and the CERF advisory group, Ireland has garnered strong support to OCHA's role and mandate, and continues to do so. Its flexible financial contributions to our core programme and to the pooled funds greatly enhance our agility and response capacity. They allow us to expand our operational footprint as needed or quickly shift resources when sudden needs arise such as those caused by floods. Ireland's contributions to the pooled funds will allow us to continue working with local and international non-governmental organisations to enhance our collective ability to drive the localisation agenda, empower local communities and build resilience. The world continues to count on principled donors like Ireland. I thank the committee for the opportunity to present to members.