ICRC Says Expects Shortfall in Financing From Int'l Donors Over Next 2 Years

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expects a decrease in humanitarian funding from its international donors over the next two years, which may hamper the organization's operations dealing with "neglected crises," Mutsa Mugangavari, the deputy head of the ICRC regional delegation in Southern Africa, told Sputnik.

"It is too early to say how our funding situation will evolve in the coming months. However, we do expect humanitarian funding to decline over the next two years. It is also proving to be more challenging to raise unearmarked funds, which makes it harder to fund neglected crises. We will need to adjust to these realities and will further review our activities and priorities in the coming months at both field and headquarters," Mugangavari said.

At the same time, she expressed hope that the ICRC would still be able to mobilize more funds for its critical humanitarian operations in 2023 with the support of donors.

"Our priority is always to have the most effective, positive impact we can for communities living through armed conflict and violence," Mugangavari said, adding that the crisis faced by Sudan in 2023 had created massive humanitarian needs.

Many Sudanese have been fleeing their homeland to neighboring countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan, which face their own challenges. The ICRC fears that the crisis is taking regional proportions, forcing the organization to deal with the increased pressure on the healthcare systems of the affected African nations, Mugangavari stated.

"At the same time, of course, we must not forget other protracted armed conflicts, such as in the Sahel, that continue creating severe humanitarian consequences. In Somalia, for example, we have seen an increase in violence compounded by the aftermath of the prolonged drought," she said in her interview with Sputnik.

The ICRC is an international humanitarian organization established in 1863 and based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization aims to help people affected by conflicts and armed violence across the globe. The ICRC is funded by voluntary contributions, with the majority coming from governments, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, supranational organizations, as well as public and private sources.