‘Humanising the world again’ at core of ICRC, says delegation head

AMMAN — Capturing the human stories behind humanitarian aid and “humanising the world again” is the core of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said Sarah Avrillaud, head of the ICRC delegation to Jordan in an interview with The Jordan Times.

The humanitarian assistance provided by the ICRC is about alleviating people’s suffering, maintaining human dignity and injecting components of humanity back into life, Avrillaud said. 

It is with “firm conviction” that the ICRC works to “bring back a bit of humanity and compassion”, and its focus remains on contributing to humanitarian needs. People continue to be the centre of its response, she affirmed. 

Avrillaud said that due to the “unfortunate and unavoidable conflict inherent in human nature”, there will always be a need for humanitarian assistance. 

The issue, which lives on to this day, is that people do not address the root causes of why crises erupted in the first place, she said.

Further, she said that the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the base of humanitarian aid. It is relevant and applies at all times, Avrillaud noted.

 “Yes we need to adapt, but this is simply an unchanging basic,” she said. 

Considering current humanitarian landscape, Avrillaud provided a brief overview of ICRC’s operations in Jordan, noting that “Jordan has always been an IHL promoter and is an essential centre to the functioning of the ICRC in the region”.

As for Avrillaud’s definition of humanitarianism, it involves providing aid to people regardless of their backgrounds and reducing their suffering without adverse distinction. 

“We have our differences, yet we are all the same,” she said. 

“Crises we are experiencing now are evolving, and are becoming more and more complex.” It is therefore imperative to adapt to new realities and the current international security environment, she added.

For Avrillaud, humanitarian aid is not the only way forward. Without political solutions, there will not be an end for worldwide conflicts.

“Political will cannot be replaced, even if we have a pronounced influence and are engaged in humanity diplomacy,” she said.

However, the ICRC is “independent and free of politics and is not part of humanitarian politics”, however the political environment cannot be discarded, so in that sense “we are not free from politics, but we are not influenced by it,” she said.

The ICRC takes into consideration the political dynamics, to integrate them into its responses, she said. 

When talking about the future of humanitarian activities, she noted that humanitarian organisations are supposed to deliver short-term emergency responses. At the same time, these institutions must reflect on how these acts could contribute to creating a better future, Avrillaud added.