BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Humanitarians need to recognize that emergencies last, says Yves Daccord, former director-general at the International Committee of the Red Cross.
For humanitarian organizations, “It's easy to be relevant in the short emergency because your mandate is clear and people understand that. What’s complex is when you have to be relevant over time and you have to stay with the population affected. It’s a big challenge,” he said, adding that a long-term approach is especially relevant, given the current crisis.
“If you want to be serious about COVID-19, you’ll have to again look at mid- to long-term [work] because it will affect all public health, security, and the social fabric,” he said.