Speeches by Harding.

“Do you think that the impact of cuts to USAID and also British assistance will impact your security or the security of aid workers, in that the efficiency savings will be such that they will want them to go into the programme rather than the security of aid workers?”

“Thank you. Anna, is there anything you wanted to add to that? Anna Tazita Samuel: The cutting of funding from USAID and UK aid has affected us a lot, especially national organisations. One thing, right now: as we are struggling, as I talk to you now, my staff are in the field trying to explain our position that we are …”

“I want to ask a question of everyone and I will start with Ms Ross. In your experience, how responsive are the donors and INGOs that you work with to the security and welfare needs of organisations?”

“Let me come back to you. If you could just come in, Mr Novakovic.”

“Do you have any examples of good practice where that is done well?”

“Returning to that last example, and thank you for that, where does accountability lie? In another organisation there will be some accountability for what happened.”

“You talked very much about direct dialogue and acknowledgement within the donor country, with the national NGO. In the face of the cuts, training is often the first thing to go, as is dialogue. How do you feel about how the cuts will affect what we are talking about?”

“Can I just push you on this dismay with the British retreating; how widespread is that?”

“Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us. I want to ask about the public perception of what you went through and about aid workers generally. Did you receive any public sympathy in a wider context?”

“Can I push slightly further on that? I was really taken by your comparison with the military. Do you think that the public loses a sense of the nationality of aid workers because they work in an international context or for an international NGO? Is there, therefore, a slight detachment from aid workers and not a public…”

“Do you think that the impact of cuts to USAID and also British assistance will impact your security or the security of aid workers, in that the efficiency savings will be such that they will want them to go into the programme rather than the security of aid workers?”

“Thank you. Anna, is there anything you wanted to add to that? Anna Tazita Samuel: The cutting of funding from USAID and UK aid has affected us a lot, especially national organisations. One thing, right now: as we are struggling, as I talk to you now, my staff are in the field trying to explain our position that we are …”

“I want to ask a question of everyone and I will start with Ms Ross. In your experience, how responsive are the donors and INGOs that you work with to the security and welfare needs of organisations?”

“Let me come back to you. If you could just come in, Mr Novakovic.”

“Do you have any examples of good practice where that is done well?”

“I am going to push you and turn the question on its head. You have already alluded to what I am going to ask you, but whose responsibility is it to ensure that aid workers are protected and aided in recovery when things go wrong?”

“Returning to that last example, and thank you for that, where does accountability lie? In another organisation there will be some accountability for what happened.”

“You talked very much about direct dialogue and acknowledgement within the donor country, with the national NGO. In the face of the cuts, training is often the first thing to go, as is dialogue. How do you feel about how the cuts will affect what we are talking about?”

“Can I just push you on this dismay with the British retreating; how widespread is that?”

“The reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that at least 1,000 Alawites have been killed over the past few days are deeply concerning. This escalation in violence undermines Syria’s fragile transition from dictatorial rule under Assad, and it harms efforts to encourage religious and sectarian tolerance. A…”