A new humanitarian forum could enhance the role and effectiveness of local NGOs, particularly in rural areas where 75 percent of Yemen's 21 million people live, specialists in humanitarian work have said.
The Humanitarian Forum Yemen (HFY) was launched at a three-day meeting on 27-29 October organised by the Humanitarian Forum, a network of key humanitarian and charitable organisations.
The Humanitarian Forum says on its website that it aims to “help create a conducive, unbiased and safe atmosphere for the implementation of technically sound and principled humanitarian action.”
Yahya al-Durra, a member of the HFY's board of trustees, said local NGOs and charities perform a great role in development, health, education and other fields, but their role is not visible.
"Our role will be to publicise their efforts and cite them in international reports so that their role gets recognised. The Forum will also coordinate the humanitarian work of local organisations," he said at a press conference in Sanaa on 28 October.
"We in HFY will target as many local organisations as possible to enhance their role in their communities."
According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, there are over 5,000 local NGOs and associations nationwide.
Hany al-Banna, chairman and founder of the Humanitarian Forum, said it would provide training to local NGOs to help bring their charitable work up to international standards.
He called for a more rational and efficient approach, noting some of the current weaknesses: “When a disaster occurs, we deal with it emotionally and sometimes arbitrarily," he said.
ECHO funding
It was announced during the meeting that the European Commission will finance a three-year project to enhance the role of local NGOs in Yemen through the HFY.
Among the key organisations involved in the Global Humanitarian Forum are the British Red Cross, Islamic Relief Worldwide, the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mercy Corps, the Qatar Red Crescent Society, IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation (Turkey), Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, Oxfam UK, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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