The crisis in Niger raises questions about the role of the UN in responding to such disasters. Deaglán de Bréadún seeks answers.
Q. We have yet another humanitarian crisis, in Niger, and the international community is once again flying by the seat of its pants. Where is the UN in all of this?
A. Mark Bowden, from the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, points out that OCHA is co-ordinating assistance in co-operation with the government of Niger. He says that the UN did indeed raise the alarm about the situation: "In addition to early warnings issued by UN agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, under-secretary general Jan Egeland warned last October that the devastation wrought by the largest swarms of locusts in 15 years could well serve as the proverbial straw which broke the camel's back in this desperately poor country."
But critics of the UN, like John O'Shea from the development agency Goal, say that if the equivalent of the Niger crisis happened in the business world, UN secretary general Kofi Annan would be sacked. "They had $50,000 set aside: what were they hoping to achieve with that?" He points out that Goal has already sent 195 tonnes of food to Niger, equal to half the amount the UN had brought in during the previous six months.
Mike Williams from the aid agency Trócaire says: "The real issue here is the failure of wealthy international donors to fund the UN appeals when asked to do so."
Bríd Kennedy, Concern's regional director for Niger and southern Africa, also points out that UN agencies were warning about the situation last October/November and says that appeals for funds were made in spring and early summer.
"But," she adds, "it was not until the media got pictures of starving children that donors responded to the last appeal."
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Q. Will UN reform make a difference and result in a more effective response to these recurring crises?
A. Goal's John O'Shea says: "The UN is failing to protect the vulnerable. I don't know how often people have to say this." He feels UN resources are not properly directed: "Its offices in New York alone would put Bill Gates to shame."
Trócaire's Mike Williams observes: "Emergencies are, by definition, chaotic. Reform of the UN should address issues of inefficiency in UN systems and structures. But it is essential that the major donors/governments support whatever processes are in place."
Concern's Bríd Kennedy says: "UN reform would need to have a system that is flexible [ and] that can address issues specific to each country.
Mark Bowden of OCHA points out that Kofi Annan has urged, as part of his reform package, the expansion of the existing Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF). This provides a core sum of $50 million, which can be used on a loan basis to respond to emergency needs.
"The proposal is to increase that core fund to at least $500 million and to make provisions for grants to be given. Moving away from the loan mechanism and increasing the core funds will greatly increase the capacity of the United Nations to respond immediately and effectively to humanitarian crises, including in instances such as Niger, when donors are slow to respond."
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Q. Why does it look as if voluntary agencies are carrying the can? Isn't the UN supposed to be there for that?
A. A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs comments: "A large part of the function of aid agencies and civil society as a whole is advocacy, awareness-building and leveraging national governments to address development issues. It is only natural that these types of activities attract a significant amount of media attention. UN development agencies, and indeed national development programmes such as Development Co-operation Ireland, have a different role which perhaps receives less media attention but is equally important in addressing the problems of poverty across the globe."
Trócaire's Mike Williams says: "Traditionally, the UN has relied on NGOs to implement the response because of their flexibility and ability to respond."
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Q. Why hasn't the UN set up an early-warning system?
A. "United Nations agencies do have early-warning capacities for these kinds of crises," says Mark Bowden of OCHA. "Unfortunately, these kinds of calls are sometimes unheeded. The media often neglects to pick these early warnings, waiting until the situation reaches dire proportions with horrifying footage of starving children. With the early warnings that had been given, we could have averted the current situation, given greater will and earlier provision of resources."