Author: Lutz Drieling
Photo credit: Andrew Petrischev
Date: May, 2023
Javier Garcia is the Head of Country Support in Europe and the Americas at ActionAid International. He is a trained economist with 20 years of experience in the development sector.
Please tell us about your role(s) during the humanitarian crisis.
In the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine, ActionAid is providing support to our members in Europe and the Americas and doing policy work. When the Crisis started ActionAid decided to intervene, even though we don’t have ActionAid members in Ukraine or Romania. We wanted to support our local partners and provide help. I am part of the larger group of ActionAid, but I am not a member of the teams that directly carry out our humanitarian aid, I focus more on policy work.
Which were the most difficult moments?
The beginning was the most challenging. The needs were high, and a lot of people left Ukraine in a short period of time. Help was needed and to respond on short notice with the right services was complicated. We also work with partners who did not work particularly on a humanitarian response before. Suddenly they had to shift their priorities and their way of interacting. No one was prepared and we and our partners had to adapt. It was also hard to bring the right team to the place. Our team members from non-European countries like India could come but getting work permits and visas was challenging. We also had trouble deciding where to start and on what to focus on and then to communicate our strategies.
Which were the most meaningful moments?
After the first three months, we were sitting together to reflect on what we did and what should be done differently, and how we want to go on with the team, and partners. This changed our humanitarian response. We discussed how to set up support in the future, we discussed the leadership, and how to protect our target groups. Overall, it was about what we can do differently and how we can improve, this was meaningful to me.
Please tell us about your organisation and how it contributes to addressing the humanitarian crisis.
ActionAid interacts through members or partners in 70 countries. We provide relief in Europe for the Ukrainian crisis. Considering our long-term relations with our partners, it was our responsibility to act. We were no experts on Eastern Europe and the Eastern neighbourhood, but we could rely on partnerships and their knowledge. We worked on all related sectors like cash support, nonfood items, shelter, protection services, psycho-social support, and livelihood support. We tried to make it accessible to all these displaced people coming at the beginning to Romania, later than also to Moldova and Ukraine. We try to target as many people as possible, but we focus especially on women, youth, and everyone left behind by traditional humanitarian responses like LGBTQI+, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
What worked well regarding the (Romanian/regional) efforts to address the humanitarian crisis?
It is interesting that the capacities in Romania adapted and transformed from a development framework to a humanitarian response. This was great. We identified partners, collaborated with them, and empowered them to offer specialised support. It is important to work with youth groups for supporting youth, women groups to support women, etc. They are the best service provider for their individual target groups. We saw that the crisis would last and needed a sustainable response. I was surprised that Youth groups were prepared, and they showed they can have a meaningful role in their response to this humanitarian crisis.
What could have worked better?
We struggled to deploy our staff due to visa restrictions. We can deploy our European staff to the Global South, without any problem but the other way around it is quite challenging. In addition, Information was not spread fast enough. We needed and still need real data and qualified information as examples about women to create appropriate services or inform society how to support and how to not do harm. Professionalization was missing and people drove to the border for taking children and bringing them to safety endangering them to trafficking and abuse. They needed to be educated on how to do humanitarian response and what should not be done.
What are you focusing on in your work now?
We dedicate more capacities and resources to Ukraine and less to Romania, Poland, and Moldova. The most needs are in Ukraine now. The response is the same, Psychosocial support, information, and assistance. Just the focus on the location changed. We also try now to increase our long-term development approach in combination with our humanitarian response.
What needs do you see now that could be addressed better?
Compared to a year ago everything is better already. Access to help is different. We have better-established relations with local organisations. Now the recovery process has started. This is a challenge. We must discuss peace and recovery, but we must do this with civil society organisations and their role is not clear yet. How can you discuss recovery without them? This is something that must be worked on.
Region: Central and Eastern Europe
Country/(ies): Ukraine, Romania