By Jean Narcisse Djaha, PhD, Founding Partner and Executive Director, Réseau Humanitaire Afrique
Why Réseau Humanitaire Afrique?
The resource-rich African continent is facing a resurgence of armed conflicts that are contributing to the suffering of civilian populations. Recent clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands displaced in surrounding towns. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the number of Africans forcibly displaced by conflict and repressive regimes has increased for the thirteenth consecutive year, surpassing 45 million people . With 3% of its total population forcibly displaced, Africa has both a larger share and absolute number of forcibly displaced people than any other major region in the world.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ), the number of displaced people has almost doubled in one week. Last week, the UN agency reported 230,000 people displaced by the escalation of clashes between non-state armed groups and the Congolese army in the provinces of South and North Kivu.
After a cold assessment of the situation, the activation of the African Union Humanitarian Agency, in gestation for several years, will not be enough to reduce the suffering of local populations. Designed to alleviate the multifaceted vulnerabilities that prevent Africa from breathing, it has responded little to the decrease in humanitarian aid and the intensification of crises.
It is in this context that the Global Peace Education Network and Bouake Council on Global Affairs have decided to join forces to set up the Africa Humanitarian Network, a capacity building mechanism for humanitarian organizations to properly conduct their humanitarian missions in favor of populations who are victims of armed conflicts on the continent.
The Africa Humanitarian Network aims to become a major continental hub to serve as a platform to accelerate action aimed at forging a humanism with an African face. It will advise a new model of capacity building and humanitarian crisis management to its members and partners including African and global humanitarian agencies.
The Opportunity
It is following the observation of the inaction of the Humanitarian Agency of the African Union and the insufficient response of the international community that Global Peace Education Network and Bouake Council on Global Affairs decided to create the Humanitarian Network Africa to bring a new dynamic to the management of humanitarian action in Africa. Through this project, we want to set up a Network based on millennial pan-African values of intergenerational solidarity, empathy, love for one’s neighbor in suffering and natural sharing.
Our mission is to strengthen the capacities of humanitarian organizations to:
- To mitigate the multifaceted vulnerabilities that prevent Africa from breathing, hence the war situations.
- To help populations affected by armed conflicts and natural or non-natural disasters in Africa.
- To save lives, alleviate the suffering of war victims and preserve human dignity during and after emergencies.
In the long term, the Africa Humanitarian Network wants to achieve the following:
- Reconstruction and development phase: enabling populations to rebuild and continue to plan for the future.
The Africa Humanitarian Network is increasingly distinguished by its exceptional capacity to mobilize resources (financial and human) and regional and international partnerships to respond effectively to the growing humanitarian needs on the African continent.
Throughout the period 2025-2035, the Africa Humanitarian Network will particularly count on the active commitment of its members, partners and collaborations, on each of its actions and missions in favor of people who suffer from armed conflicts on African soil.
Whether in hamlets, villages, towns or schools, we will go to help, relieve and save lives by providing humanitarian and development support wherever there are armed conflicts in Africa.
Why Now?
Now because times ahead of us will be radically challenging for current and future generations. Africa is at a crossroads where actions that will positively impact on our children’s future need to be taken today and now. We cannot wait until tomorrow. It is now.
How to join us
Please contact:
Jean Narcisse Djaha
Founding Partner & Executive Director
Réseau Humanitaire Afrique
Virginia/Wasghington, DC, USA
Telephone: +1 703 200 4022
Email :info@jeannarcissedjaha.com