We are at the end of a complex and, in many ways, difficult year. For our organization, it has been a year in which facing new and urgent challenges, we have found it necessary to identify and implement alternative plans of action to better meet the needs of the populations we assist.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we found ourselves in front of a crisis without precedents. Our front-line workers have been working to guarantee the continuity of our missions where the needs of the people have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. INTERSOS has responded to the emergency provoked by the explosion in the port of Beirut port that resulted in 300,000 displaced persons, and to the fire of the Moria refugee camp, affecting 11,000 refugees. Our operations continued to expand further, with the opening of new missions in Colombia, Venezuela and Burkina Faso. As these 12 months have reached their conclusion, we reflect upon facts and accomplishments, summarizing the numbers that make our 2020 unforgettable.
3 dates that have marked our 2020
MARCH 11TH– The World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a pandemic. An emergency without precedent, that for the first time involves all countries in which INTERSOS operates. This includes Italy, the home office of our organization, where INTERSOS intervenes with mobile socio-health teams in Rome and in Southern Italy, to assist homeless people, seasonal workers and other vulnerable and high-risk groups.
AUGUST 4th– The port of Beirut and neighboring areas are devastated by the explosion of an ammonium nitrate deposit: 220 people lost their lives and 7,000 were wounded. 200,000 homes were impacted, 40,00 buildings have been damaged, 15,000 small businesses were brought to their knees, 178 schools were damaged, and three hospitals rendered uninhabitable, INTERSOS is on the front lines in the reconstruction efforts.
SEPTEMBER 8th– During the night of September 8th and into the 9th , a fire destroyed the refugee camp of Moria on the island of Lesbos, leaving more than 10,000 individuals without shelter, including 4,000 minors. Our workers are still there to assist the thousands of people that are stranded on the island and forced to live in unacceptable conditions, rendered even worse with the advent of winter.
3 most important missions
YEMEN – In terms of the volume of on-going projects this year, Yemen once again represented the biggest individual mission of our organization. For many years the humanitarian crisis brought by the 2015 war in the country has been defined as “the worst in the world”. There are 24 million individuals in need of humanitarian aid, facing particular stresses of food insecurity and malnutrition, and a conflict that has no respite. INTERSOS teams are engaged in the Northern and Southern areas of the country to ensure medical and nutritional services and protection services, often in areas of difficult accessibility, and where no other form of assistance is available.
IRAQ- INTERSOS has extended its humanitarian intervention efforts in the country, strengthening the humanitarian aid programs in the protection, education and health sectors. INTERSOS provides support for the reconstruction of the health system and training of health personnel. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, new prevention and training activities have been launched.
NIGERIA- 2020 saw a further escalation of the conflict with the extremist Boko Haram armed group in the north-east of the country. There have been increases in attacks and continued difficulty of bringing in humanitarian aid to the population in need. INTERSOS is at the forefront of Borno State, in the heart of the conflict, by providing primary health and nutrition programs, protection, distribution of basic needs access to water and hygiene.
3 new crises
BURKINA FASO – There are more than one million displaced people in the country, more than double than last year, and ten times more than two years ago. The humanitarian situation in Burkina Faso is rapidly deteriorating, while the presence of armed groups and the insecurity of a vast portion of the territory is growing. The increasing food uncertainty is worrying: over 3 million people are in need of urgent assistance.
COLOMBIA – During the last months of 2020 there has been a rapid increase of violence in some areas of the country, mainly along the Venezuelan border, where INTERSOS has been operating with a cross-border program since 2019 to respond to the Venezuelan refugee crisis. This is an exodus that fits into a fragile and complex situation.
SYRIA – It is not a new humanitarian crisis, in fact, it is possibly the most talked-about crisis in the last decade. After having worked for so long next to Syrian refugees in bordering countries and throughout Europe, INTERSOS started its mission in Syria at the end of 2019. Throughout 2020, INTERSOS was at forefront to help people fleeing the military offensive in the Idlib province.
3 numbers that will mark our 2021
There are three record numbers. Numbers never seen before. Numbers, unfortunately, never so dramatic. 235 million people needing humanitarian aid, an increase from the 167 million in 2019. Of every 33 human beings, one now needs humanitarian aid. This is a net increase compared to the beginning of 2020 when it was estimated to be one in 45. The financial aid needed is estimated at 35 billion dollars, a new record compared to 28 billion at the beginning of 2020. These are key figures reported in the OCHA Global Humanitarian Overview. According to the UNHCR data, the number of people forced to leave their homes, including refugees and displaced persons, is now approaching 80 million, an increase of almost ten million over the previous year.