We have come to the end of a year in which the need for humanitarian aid increased on a global scale due to deepening humanitarian crises and threats resulting from the pandemic and climate change in various parts of the world. The ongoing Syrian crisis completed its 10th year. The places experiencing humanitarian crises more severely were Afghanistan, Yemen, and Gaza. Afghanistan struggles with political, social, and economic issues caused by the war that lasted for nearly 45 years. The famine, outbreak, and civil war continues in Yemen. Violent attacks take place in Gaza. Humanity went through tough times in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the natural disasters that occurred in Türkiye and different parts of the world. In this context, as humanitarian aid actors, we once again realized the great extent of our responsibilities.
Though estimating that the needs are to increase on a global scale in the upcoming year, the resources allocated to humanitarian aid do not increase enough. Accordingly, strengthening coordination between actors, specialization in humanitarian aid models, using resources efficiently, and sustainability becomes more crucial.
As Doctors Worldwide, we provided services in our health centers located in different crisis regions of the world this year, with an understanding that concentrates on “sustainable humanitarian aid and social impact-oriented service,” which we created with the experience we gained in the field over the years. We worked hard to ensure that those in need, who try to maintain their life under poor conditions caused by war, famine, and natural disasters, have access to health services. In addition, we added new ones to our existing centers. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, we supported local employment, specialization, and capacity building in the regions we provide services with the help of the efforts of our Turkish volunteer doctors and health workers. In parallel with the same understanding, we are determined to increase our operational efficiency, expand our knowledge in health and be more focused on sustainability in humanitarian aid in the years to come.
In the previous year, we, unfortunately, witnessed various natural disasters both in Türkiye and many parts of the world. Our citizens affected by the disasters were provided with substantial support, thanks to the efforts of the general public and NGOs. We see that aid is delivered to those in need much more effectively in such disasters if the coordination between state institutions, humanitarian aid organizations, and local authorities is strong. However, considering the coordination between actors, we think that preventing logistical problems caused by humanitarian aid activities conducted in a short period is an issue open for improvement.
We will remember 2021 as a challenging year in which we witnessed humanitarian crises due to the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, conflicts, famine, natural disasters, and climate change. However, humanity’s collective fight against disasters and crises, and the unprecedented efforts of our people, raise our hopes for the future. We believe that if we walk down the same road that leads to brighter days, the pain and suffering will be history soon.