Doha: Experts and researchers in humanitarian work have underscored the critical importance of ensuring the safety and security of personnel engaged in humanitarian relief efforts worldwide, calling for efforts to overcome the challenges they face and to put an end to the frequent targeting of aid workers.
According to Qatar News Agency, the call came during a panel discussion titled "The Role of Humanitarian Organizations in Conflict Zones," held Monday on the sidelines of the Global Security Forum 2025 in Doha. The session featured Assistant Secretary-General for Communication and Fundraising at Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), Mohamed Ahmed Al Bishri, Director of the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN), Joelle Germanier, Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University in Australia, Dr. Mary Anne McGlasson, and Senior Policy Researcher at RAND Shelly Culbertson. The session was moderated by Jennifer Fenton, spokesperson for the UN Special Envoy for Syria.
Participants highlighted major challenges facing humanitarian work, including the politicization of aid access, shrinking humanitarian space, the increasing targeting of humanitarian workers, and a significant decline in humanitarian funding.
They stressed the need to strengthen local capacities and the resilience of target communities by supporting local healthcare systems, fostering partnerships with local actors to build strong community-led responses, and enhancing the capabilities of national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide. They also emphasized developing effective cooperation models to ensure sustainable humanitarian responses.
The speakers urged the international community, donors, and humanitarian partners to renew their commitment to humanitarian principles, respect international humanitarian law, and foster constructive dialogue, warning that failure to do so would undermine equitable and effective responses to escalating global crises.
They further noted that the role of humanitarian organizations today extends beyond the provision of emergency aid to include vital contributions to humanitarian diplomacy, advocacy for the rights of the most vulnerable, and efforts to find just and humane solutions to protracted crises.
The panelists pointed out that the future of humanitarian work requires greater adaptability to evolving circumstances and innovation in influence and diplomacy tools. They stressed the importance of enhancing legal protections for humanitarian workers, strengthening national organizations, and investing in long-term, community-driven solutions.
They concluded by reaffirming their belief that building humanitarian partnerships rooted in international humanitarian law is fundamental to achieving global human security.