UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Wednesday said "fire-fighting approach" in humanitarian work is not sustainable and promoted crisis prevention and sustainable development as key means to address humanitarian challenges.
"We should be trying to prevent these crises from happening in the first place, rather than helping people to survive them once they erupt," she said at the 7th Global Humanitarian Policy Forum, adding the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is "our best tool to prevent crisis and exit existing crises."
Mohammed said preventing conflict could save some 34 billion U.S. dollars in economic damage every year, and that investing in women's participation and gender equality should help the humanitarian cause.
In her opening remarks, Mohammed recalled the deteriorating humanitarian situation around the globe, saying despite economic and development gains, the humanitarian needs continue to rise and the gap between the needs and the supply of aid is growing.
Pointing to the famine in Yemen, the ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and cross-border displacement increase due to conflict and terrorism, she said about 124 million people are experiencing crisis-level food insecurity, some 2 billion people lack safe drinking water -- more than a quarter of the world, and that some 132 million people will need aid and protection in 42 countries around the world, mostly women and girls.
Closing her remarks, Mohammed encouraged the speakers at the forum to think about "innovative solutions and partnerships" that help address the challenges that "hinder our ability to prevent and exit existing crises," and expressed her hope that the debate and discussions will come up with concrete solutions to accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable development in and beyond humanitarian crises.
The two-day 7th Global Humanitarian Policy Forum is held by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs under the theme of "Solutions for Humanity: Creating opportunities for those furthest behind."
