Humanitarian needs are growing. Martin Rosselot, INTERSOS’ new Director of Programs, talks about achievements to be consolidated and new challenges ahead

 

Since June 2023, you have held the position of Director of Programmes at INTERSOS. What have you found different about INTERSOS compared to other organizations you have worked for?

Certainly one strength of INTERSOS is that it is always willing to get involved and invest energy in working on the front lines, which is an added value in responding to emerging crises. One example out of all: in a general context where access to negotiations is becoming more complicated than ever, INTERSOS has dedicated specific resources precisely to this aspect, creating the position of Senior Humanitarian Advisor.

Another specificity of INTERSOS is undoubtedly its growing ability to integrate its work on access to health and protection. In crises where conflicts result in high numbers of displaced people, giving rise to contexts particularly exposed to violence and abuse, the integrated approach that INTERSOS uses makes a huge difference in terms of impact on people’s mental health. We see a clear example of this in Congo, where sexual violence is used as a weapon. In these scenarios, the ability to pair health interventions with abuse response and prevention is a strength.

 

Based on these first 6 months in office, what do you think are the main challenges the organization has faced?

Humanitarian needs are growing all over the world; this is certainly the biggest challenge we are facing. Crises are increasing: we have new crises in Sudan and the catastrophe that has been going on in Gaza since October. These scenarios worsen an already worrisome global humanitarian situation because they add to the formerly ongoing crises. Thus, the number of people in need of humanitarian aid is increasing but, unfortunately, the resources to meet these needs are not increasing in the same proportion. Just to give a few examples: in West Africa we have been struggling to reach 30 percent of what we call the Humanitarian Response Plan, the budget for humanitarian operations. This forces us to do more with fewer resources, which is a huge challenge. Also, the humanitarian world is becoming more and more “administrative.” Donors are increasing the number of audits and in general the rules on managing funds are becoming more and more strict. As a result we have to devote a considerable amount of workload to this.

Another concerning reality we must deal with is the increasing violations of International Humanitarian Law, which occur at different levels around the world: from those perpetrated by local armed groups to potential violations enacted by powerful governments. In addition to this, response tools adopted by states, such as sanctions and counterterrorism lists, often limit humanitarian operations. Take, for example, the sanctions taken against the government in Afghanistan or official authorities in Syria; these measures impact our ability to operate because Western banking institutions are reluctant to transfer money in these contexts.

 

Let’s talk about successes instead:

This year we did a great job in response to the Sudanese emergency. In Chad, we were able to build a camp in Zabout to house 40,000 Sudanese refugees at the border, in a very short time and during the rainy season. This is a success for us; it shows that we can be extremely responsive at the operational level. Of course, the intervention in Chad is part of a regional approach that has seen INTERSOS involved in supporting Sudanese refugees in the Central African Republic and South Sudan as well.

The emergency response in Ukraine has also been highly effective to date. In particular, following the flooding in Kakhovka, our teams responded immediately to support the thousands of displaced people. In Ukraine we are experimenting with Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) models, which have shown positive results and could be replicated in other similar contexts.

On the immunization front, we are becoming more ambitious; we have conducted large-scale vaccination campaigns in very challenging areas such as the Borno State in Nigeria and are exploring new potential partnerships to increase our capacity in this area.

 

You were Regional Director for the Middle East before becoming Director of Programmes. In recent days we are seeing an escalation of the war in the Middle East with the direct involvement of other countries as well. What does and can this entail from a humanitarian perspective?

We are monitoring the evolving context because the risks of an escalation are significant, first of all in the occupied Palestinian territories, where the conflict in the West Bank could exacerbate, making the scenario even more catastrophic and destabilizing. Even if INTERSOS does not work directly in these territories, we are monitoring the impact of the conflict globally and in the countries in the area where we have a presence.

In Lebanon, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is likely to escalate, as it did in 2006. Both sides seem to be interested in avoiding escalation, particularly Lebanon, which is already experiencing an internal crisis in the country. However, in such a tense situation, the risk of sudden deterioration is there, and that is why we are extremely vigilant.

We closely monitor the situation In Yemen as well. The situation in the Red Sea is tense and could deteriorate, even if a large-scale conflict between the U.S. and the U.K. in opposition to the de facto authorities in Sanaa is unlikely. What is most worrisome at the moment are the repercussions of the designation of Ansar Allah as a terrorist group, a measure that on the one hand may jeopardize the country’s chances of recovery, while at the same time complicating humanitarian activities to support the population.

 

As you mentioned INTERSOS is operating in southern Lebanon, where the situation is very tense. What activities are we implementing at the moment?

We are currently monitoring the movements of displaced people and assessing their needs daily, also providing solutions in terms of protection. And of course, we have to be ready to scale up our intervention in case the situation precipitates. Contingency plans exist to guide our reactions and responses if the number of displaced persons and their needs increase beyond certain thresholds.

 

What do you think will be the main crisis fronts that will see INTERSOS engaged in 2024?

We are exploring the possibility of opening a new mission in Sudan to better respond to the ongoing crisis. Then Afghanistan will remain central. Although media attention has dropped, in fact, the situation in the country has not improved: services, infrastructure and the economy in this country are still extremely fragile and poverty is a permanent condition. We are also monitoring the possible repercussions, in terms of humanitarian load, of the thousands of people expelled from Pakistan who will have to return to Afghanistan in the coming months.

We will then maintain our presence in Ukraine, where we see no resolution to the crisis in the short term. Similarly, we will continue to turn our attention and operations to the crises in Central Africa and West Africa, especially in the Sahel, where conflicts, combined with the impact of climate change, are resulting in increasing numbers of displaced people.