Sphere Annual Report 2023 - Message

Following is my message at the beginning of Sphere's 2023 Annual Report which has just been released.

Sphere Annual Report 2023

An honor; but so meaningless in the face of the horror unleashed in Israel on one day last October, but relentlessly in Gaza day after day after day as the slaughter of so many innocent lives is shown on our screens around the world.

250 people every day are being killed by the IDF, with many more injured and all residents in Gaza surely deeply traumatised. Do the people responsible for this actually care what humanitarians say or think or do as they continue to target and kill Palestine Red Crescent, UNRWA, MSF and many other agencies' staff and families, and destroy UN and NGO offices; not to mention the hospitals and schools which should be protected under international law. Does Netanyahu care about the future of Israel; for what is being sown now will be reaped by future generations.

As this conflict continues, and we witness State collapse in Haiti and Sudan for example, it is easy to question why the quality of humanitarian assistance even matters. My response is that it matters even more, for if we give up on the intent to reach at least a certain level of minimum standard, and advocate night and day to get there, then we are giving up on dignity. And if we give up on people's right to life with dignity, no matter where they are, we are no longer able to assist them in our mutual humanity.

"I hope you will enjoy reading the stories from across Sphere Standards network in the Annual Report 2023, which represent just a fraction of our collective work.?

Not long after joining Sphere, I met one of my predecessors who demanded of me: “Why? Why is Sphere still going? Why bother?” Taken aback, I did not have a strong enough response at the time. In previous roles as an aid worker, I had always packed the Handbook along with my toothbrush as an essential item. Sphere for me was, and still is, a given requiring no justification. In hindsight, I would respond that Sphere is necessary because the dignity of each person affected by humanitarian crises is of the upmost importance. Our collective humanity demands us to make sure the Handbook is in the heads and hands of those who are trying their best to be accountable to, and uphold the human rights of, those most in need of assistance. The outlook for quality in humanitarian action is bleak, and so Sphere and our ability to influence positive change is needed now more than ever.?

The Humanitarian Charter calls us to uphold the freedom, equality, and dignity of every individual. But the ability to sanction perpetrators of crimes against humanity and abuses of human rights is wearing ever thinner. Responding to these unstable times, we as humanitarians are questioning our fundamental principles, and keep repeating the mantra louder and more frequently that the system is not fit for purpose.?

I believe that in the face of spiraling disorder, climate chaos and increased conflict, clear and relevant principles and standards are vital. The Sphere and HSP Handbooks were written and are revised by thousands of experts from across the sector. All fully relevant and applicable in all contexts including Gaza, Haiti, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and Yemen. Indeed, severe humanitarian crises are the reason why Sphere exists.??

We cannot discard human rights as the foundation of dignity in our work, as people affected by crisis should never have to expect or accept substandard quality assistance. Retaining this foundation will be the continuing influence of Sphere."