China raises humanitarian profile globally

China has increased its contributions to international humanitarian efforts and will become a key player in the field, a senior official from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Monday in Beijing.

“China is growing quickly, and I think it will become one of the most well-known countries in international cooperation in terms of disaster and humanitarian issues,” Xavier Castellanos, the federation’s Asia-Pacific regional director, said in Beijing after the release of a report on world disaster relief by the federation.

“China still is not the top country in international humanitarian cooperation, but I have no doubt that it will very soon become one of the top 10 donor countries,” he said.

Millions of people in need of humanitarian aid have unmet needs, which requires more effort from the international humanitarian sector, according to the report.

An estimated 134 million people required humanitarian assistance worldwide last year, but only about 97 million were selected for international assistance, according to World Disasters Report 2018.

A major reason is lack of funding, and the gap between the money needed and what’s available is widening, according to the report.

It recommended prioritizing the people who are hardest to reach, including allocating funds especially for those inadequately supported. Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations should prioritize the integration of community participation in all areas, and improve the use of big data technology to assist delivery to those most in need, the report said.

“We will try to get more financial resources from government authorities and private donors and to ensure that more resources are allocated at the local level, to minimize waste in financial transactions,” Castellanos said.

Wang Ping, vice-president of the Red Cross Society of China, said the country is one of those most affected by natural disasters. Last year alone, about 130 million people in China were affected and needed help.

“The Red Cross Society of China will try to get adequate funding and ensure equal access for all those in need,” he said. “We will contribute to the fulfillment of the goal of leaving no one behind.”

Castellanos said China has been cooperating with the federation around the world, illustrating the strong role that China can play, but China is also trying to improve multilateral international cooperation in the field.

China is not only a contributor on the operational side but can also influence humanitarian principles in terms of needs and actions, he said.

“Most of the humanitarian agenda has been led by the West, and we increasingly see that China and other emerging countries are becoming key contributors to the humanitarian agenda.”