The sudden US policy shift and funding freeze, along with budget cuts from other major donors, have deeply affected the humanitarian system. The financial and structural sustainability of the global humanitarian model, which reflects the EUs values and interests, is now at risk.

This new reality forces the system to make difficult choices, such as prioritizing which lives to save and focusing on the people and places that need it most. This is an almost impossible task, with 305 million people worldwide needing humanitarian aid.

Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, addressed this Committee in March and highlighted the challenges facing the humanitarian system. He advocated for defending international humanitarian law and human rights law and called for predictable, sufficient funding to support principled humanitarian action and strong backing for local partners.

Todays geopolitical challenges and growing funding gap make reform of the humanitarian system and how we deliver aid more urgent than ever. We fully support Under Secretary General Fletchers work towards a Humanitarian Reset, which aims to drive bold, practical reforms and make the system more efficient and effective. We are following this closely, and I will also organize consultations with EU Member States in the margins of the European Humanitarian Forum.

The Commission will not step back from its humanitarian commitments. We will continue delivering in a principled manner, based on vulnerabilities and severity of needs. We have recently mobilized an additional €350 million to address the most urgent crises, including in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Palestine, Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

To support the basic functioning of the system, the Commission has also increased assistance to key enabling services disproportionately affected by the cuts. This includes data and needs assessments, safety and security, and logistics, such as humanitarian flights.

The EU will play a key role in shaping a more efficient humanitarian system. Efficiency gains can also be expected from a greater strategic and concerted approach to humanitarian supply chains, from procurement to delivery. A large part of humanitarian spending goes towards these activities.

Since last December, we have gathered the relevant players, including the private sector, in a Humanitarian Leadership Group on Supply Chain. We want to drive real change in this area by working together and reducing costs. By the end of the year, we will convene a high-level conference to agree on a set of concrete actions to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid. We will focus on better coordination, localization, and digitalization to reduce costs and increase impact.

The Commission is fully engaged, but we cannot fill the gap left by others, and we must not give the false impression that we can. Everyone in the international community must shoulder their responsibility and play a role that matches their economic standing. I count on the European Parliament to advocate for strong EU Member States financial support in the short, medium, and long-term. We must also continue advocating for greater contributions of emerging global donors and economies.

Todays renewed momentum for a humanitarian reset is unfolding alongside a broader UN-wide reform effort - the UN80 initiative - launched by Secretary-General Guterres. Together, these initiatives represent a unique opportunity to align humanitarian reform with a system-wide transformation.

The EU will remain a great supporter - both politically and financially - of the global humanitarian system and the UN at its core. The One UN approach is key to ensuring policy coherence and a coordinated response. It unites UN agencies to work as one team, with inter-agency coordination as the guiding principle.

As development and humanitarian aid are under increasing pressure, fragility is rising across the world. For the EU, inaction is not an option, as prolonged political crises, armed conflicts, and climate change make vulnerabilities worse. Lets not forget - the rise of global fragility also directly impacts the safety, security, and prosperity of Europe.

As I stressed last January, I reaffirm my commitment to the priorities outlined in my mission letter - to address the critical needs in fragile contexts, jointly with peacebuilding and development actors. We have been talking about the Triple Nexus for fifteen years. We have many good examples to build on. But never before has there been such urgency to develop a truly comprehensive, strategic, and systematic EU approach.

We simply do not have the funding to continue doing things the old way - in silos - because working in silos is too expensive. It creates inefficiencies by funding costly lifesaving actions in protracted crises in ways that are not sustainable. We are now planning a more comprehensive EU approach to fragility in early 2026.

This tailored approach for specific fragility contexts will build on past lessons learned. It will include work on social protection, social safety nets, and better involvement of local actors. Localization will remain central to those efforts, as local actors hold the keys to more sustainable and innovative solutions. They have been most severely impacted by the current funding cuts, so we are developing a roadmap to channel at least 25% of its funding to local actors.

We hope this will encourage the entire humanitarian system to stay focused on this issue, so the progress we have made in recent years is not lost. This is also important from a climate perspective, as climate change disproportionately affects fragile countries and increases humanitarian needs. We will also continue strengthening local preparedness through specific funding for disaster preparedness.

As global humanitarian budgets shrink, the need to work more closely with Multilateral Development Banks and the private sector is also increasing. It is important to get them more engaged in fragile contexts. We need to connect their financial power with humanitarian expertise to ensure investments help meet the needs of the most vulnerable.

We have shown this is possible. The Commission has funded a range of humanitarian blended finance pilot projects since 2021. We will use the lessons learned from this experience as part of a new way of working in fragility contexts and in stepping up our work on innovative finance. Next weeks European Humanitarian Forum will be an opportunity to exchange and consult extensively with a broad range of key stakeholders on the various aspects linked to fragility.

Finally, let me highlight our most crucial responsibility - protecting International Humanitarian Law. I am alarmed by the blatant disrespect for International Humanitarian Law around the world. Attacks on children and humanitarian workers, constrained access, and countless other examples. In the EU, we must use all our tools to promote IHL and protect civilians. We consistently advocate for the protection of aid workers and respect for IHL at the political level, calling out violations.

In my portfolio, we also take action. We have developed a pilot program which is unique in the world. It helps aid workers that have experienced security or health incidents, or that are facing legal issues. And we will scale this program up further.

We also need reliable data and analysis to be effective. The initiative IHL in Focus is a useful tool. It can effectively contribute to monitoring IHL violations and fighting impunity. I will work to increase advocacy and engage with decision makers, parties to armed conflicts, and their sponsors to respect humanitarian law.

As the humanitarian system goes through drastic changes, we must continue to reaffirm loud and clear our support for International Humanitarian Law. These are our founding European values and they must be defended. I look forward to continuing to work with the Parliament on all these important issues.