Austria's role in global crisis management: responsibility and vision required!

Austria's role in global crisis management: responsibility and vision required!

Austria is at a crucial turning point in terms of its foreign policy and humanitarian aid. Lukas Wank, Managing Director of AG Global Responsibility, expressly warns of the alarming forecasts for humanitarian crises worldwide. According to the current Humanitarian Global Overview 2025, more than 305 million people will be dependent on international aid - that is over 33 times as many as live in Austria as a whole. Wank clearly states the cause: the devastating consequences of pandemics, climate change and wars, which are driving millions of people into hardship in regions such as Ukraine and the Middle East. “The next federal government without a foreign policy vision would be fatal,” emphasizes Wank. In the face of global crises, a far-sighted approach is essential in order not to damage Austria’s reputation on the international stage, as he notes.

The effects of war, particularly the starvation of civilian populations as a war tactic, are serious. Although the UN classified hunger as a weapon of war in 2018, the figures show a worrying increase in conflict and related famine. The managing director gives examples from the Gaza Strip and Sudan, where many people were already suffering from hunger before the current conflicts. How militaraktuell.at reported, the consequences of wars for the civilian population are devastating: the blockade of food and humanitarian aid not only means that many people are starving, but also that humanitarian organizations are severely restricted in their operations.

Global responsibility and Austria's role

Wank urgently appeals to the coalition parties to develop a comprehensive humanitarian strategy in order not only to increase Austrian aid, but also to clearly focus it on the needs of the people affected. While many humanitarian organizations remind people of the urgency of their concerns, Wank emphasizes that hunger is a man-made problem that is compounded by denied access to food and aid. “The goal must be to make man-made hunger a thing of the past,” he demands, pointing to the need for stable food systems to combat poverty in fragile countries.

At a time when the humanitarian funding gap is alarmingly large - recently only 40 percent of the required budget was covered - it is essential that the international community works together to address these challenges. Only through robust long-term strategies can dependence on external aid deliveries be reduced in order to enable the civilian population to live independently and securely in times of crisis, as Wank and many other experts repeatedly point out. Austria's actions in the international community will be crucial for the future of many vulnerable people, as if every single life matters.