Interview with Gaël Veyssière, Director of the Crisis and Support Centre of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

 

 

Alain Boinet: Thank you for this interview for the journal Défis Humanitaires. You recently traveled with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a serious Ebola epidemic is raging in the east of the country. What situation did you find there, and what actions is the Crisis and Support Center taking to help contain this epidemic?

 

Gaël Veyssière: First of all, thank you for the invitation. I took up my duties as director of the Crisis and Support Center in July, after three years as France’s ambassador in Kyiv. But your question is about the health crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I had the good fortune to accompany our minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, just before the National Humanitarian Conference held in Paris on October 6. We went to Kinshasa, but above all the minister wanted to go to Bunia, in Ituri, which is both the historic epicenter of the epidemic and the place where the humanitarian response and the reaction of the Congolese authorities are coordinated.

The epidemic situation remains worrying. When we were on site, a clear decline in the epidemic was beginning to emerge in the Ituri region. But today, as I speak, more than 9,100 cases have been recorded and, unfortunately, the death rate is high, slightly below 50%: we are at about 4,400 deaths. It therefore remains extraordinarily serious, for a disease for which there is, strictly speaking, no treatment. The epidemic is evidently spreading in North Kivu.

But the fact is that the epidemic does not concern the DRC alone: neighboring countries, notably Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, are also affected; eight cases were thus declared in Kenya in recent days, and one in Nigeria. Something important is at stake here for the DRC, for the whole region and, in reality, from a global perspective. That was also the minister’s message, and the reason why he is so keen for all of us to mobilize, because ultimately, if we do not manage to bring this epidemic under control in the DRC and neighboring countries, our own security will inevitably, sooner or later, be affected.

France is mobilizing. It has done a great deal in recent years, notably on the occasion of the Conference in Support of Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region organized in Paris on October 30, 2025, which mobilized more than 1.5 billion euros. More specifically, in 2026, a total of 23 million euros will have been devoted to the fight against Ebola, mainly in the DRC but also in Uganda and Rwanda. During his visit, the minister announced an additional envelope of 7 million euros, which adds to the 16 million euros already mobilized.

The aim is at once to support frontline humanitarian workers (NGOs and structures in the DRC, but also international and French NGOs, because we have extremely courageous compatriots doing quite remarkable work), to support researchers and the scientific partnership with the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) (we were in Bunia with Professor Muyembe), and to support development actors in order to strengthen the Congolese health systems over the long term.

It was therefore a fairly comprehensive visit. It is important to talk about it, to raise awareness and to mobilize the international community and donors. It should also be recalled that, to protect humanitarian workers, both on the national territory and in the overseas departments and territories, we have put in place, with the Ministry of Health, a protocol enabling medical follow-up of NGO personnel deployed in the field when they return to France. But the essential point of this visit was to shed light on this situation and to talk about it, because it concerns all of us.

 

 

Alain Boinet: A follow-up question that comes from a conversation with the head of a humanitarian association, who rightly pointed out that there have already been very many Ebola crises in the DRC. While we are clearly in an emergency response right now, the goal would therefore be to provide a lasting response, in terms of access to care, health clinics, drinking water, hygiene… One can therefore imagine that beyond the emergency, there will be action to pursue, with researchers in particular, to avoid a new epidemic in the future?

 

Gaël Veyssière: You are absolutely right. A fundamental response is needed, one that lasts beyond the emergency, both for research and for healthcare facilities in the DRC. Because what is happening is a crowding-out effect: everyone is focused on Ebola, and patients suffering from other diseases can no longer be treated. The sooner they can be treated again, the better.

 

 

We must also act on the ground and on the substance of this epidemic, because part of the difficulty stems from some populations’ lack of knowledge about the disease and its modes of transmission, but also sometimes from a refusal to acknowledge its reality. The health response must then contend with certain cultural traditions, particularly when it comes to supporting families in mourning and allowing everyone to bury a loved one with dignity, while respecting the health protocols essential to prevent the spread of the virus. These are particularly difficult situations, which can sometimes provoke incomprehension, even anger, toward the workers engaged in the epidemic response. There is therefore a great deal of awareness-raising and dialogue with communities to be done, taking local cultural and social realities into account. It is an essential dimension of the fight against the epidemic.

Once again, you are right: we must distinguish the time of emergency from longer-term action. The current epidemic is the 17th Ebola epidemic recorded in the DRC; it is obviously not the first. But the DRC is a country almost the size of a continent. We must therefore also take into account the possibility of new resurgences and build the response to Ebola for the long term. That is the whole challenge: being able to respond quickly to possible new flare-ups of the epidemic.

 

Alain Boinet: You were France’s ambassador in Ukraine, a country facing a humanitarian emergency, in the broader context of a war whose consequences go far beyond the humanitarian domain alone. How do you assess the situation in that country on the eve of winter, and what are, in your view, the priorities of humanitarian aid today?

 

Gaël Veyssière: Thank you for this question. There is obviously a real question about the specific needs linked to winter. The truth is that the cold season is only just beginning: we cannot yet know whether the winter will be very cold or not.

Last winter, 2025-2026, was exceptionally cold, which greatly aggravated matters: there were temperatures below minus twenty degrees for a month, which is quite remarkable, even for Ukraine.

But one thing is certain: Russian strikes continue, and they systematically target all Ukrainian energy infrastructure, that is, everything used to produce electricity and heating. If temperatures drop to -25°C, the situation will be even harder than last winter. But even with temperatures of -5°C or -10°C, the lack of heating can quickly become a major humanitarian problem. That is the first issue: access to energy and heating.

 

 

The second, potentially even more serious, is water. City water systems are sometimes highly centralized, and therefore vulnerable to strikes, and some cities have already been hit. It is not too serious for the moment, but one never knows, and it could send tens of thousands of people onto the roads. We must therefore absolutely anticipate, and that is what we are trying to do with our partners.

France chairs the G7, within which there is a specific “Energy” format that seeks to coordinate aid to Ukraine and that we co-chair with the European Commission. Part of our aid is already planned; we are working on additional components, to provide generators (which is what the Ukrainians say they need) and to see whether we can invest in other means of production.

It is also about providing know-how: part of last year’s difficulties stemmed from the fact that some generators donated by the international community could not be connected to the Ukrainian grid, for technical reasons. But we are trying to work on all of these parameters to help the Ukrainians improve the resilience of their energy system.

I must say that the Ukrainians are admirable in their resistance; that is what I saw over three years, and especially last year. But we must try to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, which is already very great as we are in the fifth year of the war.

 

 

 

Alain Boinet: The 7th National Humanitarian Conference (CNH) has just taken place in Paris on October 6. The continuity of this exercise deserves to be praised, since the first CNH was held in 2011. This conference plays an important role in mobilizing humanitarian actors, for reflection, initiatives, and improving the collective effectiveness of their action. Minister Jean-Noël Barrot opened the proceedings: what should we take away from the statements he made on that occasion?

 

Gaël Veyssière: What struck me, first of all, was the minister’s very strong and very public reaffirmation, before this humanitarian ecosystem we can be proud of in France (it is of great quality), of the humanitarian principles and of the legitimacy of humanitarian action. This action is sometimes contested; it is no longer entirely self-evident to everyone, and we must therefore defend it, and defend it strongly. That is what the minister did by recalling the humanitarian principles, the need to protect humanitarian workers, the international forums where France is active, whether at the UN Security Council, within the European Union or elsewhere, as well as the very concrete, very material support we provide.

There was also another dimension, just as important: that of the resources devoted to humanitarian aid. In a context marked by several years of declining public funding and by sometimes very significant cuts in aid from most major international partners, there are many concerns about the resources we will have tomorrow. In this context, the minister was able to announce that the 2027 finance bill provides for an increase in French humanitarian aid. This is obviously an important development, which testifies to the determination to maintain this commitment despite a particularly difficult international context. He also announced the intention to stabilize the resources intended for non-governmental organizations, since French NGOs are often mobilized both through humanitarian channels and for development.

 

 

Finally, there were a number of specific financial announcements: the 7 million euros for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the fight against Ebola, which we were just discussing, but also 3 million euros for Yemen, where the humanitarian situation has deteriorated further.

Beyond the question of funding, the conference also made it possible to strengthen partnerships between the various humanitarian actors. The aim was in particular to bring donors and major international partners closer together: the European Commission, whose ECHO Director-General took an active part in the discussions, the United Nations system, the main bilateral donors, as well as our European and international partners. This dynamic also involved foundations and private actors, local authorities, which also play an important role in funding aid, as well as the State, through the CDCS and the various components of the ministry, and the NGOs that carry out humanitarian aid in the field. The objective was to bring out new financing mechanisms and to give greater visibility to initiatives already carried by the humanitarian sector. This is notably the case of the solidarity lottery, championed by some of the sector’s actors and which you have in fact echoed in your columns. It is a stimulating idea, which found a particular place in the conference’s discussions.

The coming months will be marked by several important events. We will in particular take part in the High-Level Conference on Humanity in Times of War organized in Amman, Jordan, on December 7, with the International Committee of the Red Cross and more than 120 States. France, with UNICEF, will also organize a conference on children in armed conflict in early 2027. But one of the most concrete follow-ups to the conference concerns strengthening partnerships with the private sector. On this occasion, the minister launched the “Club humanitaire France,” which for now brings together eight foundations and private companies around the NGOs. The aim is to gradually grow this network in order to better mobilize private funding and develop more effective forms of co-financing. This approach can notably support joint projects, such as the creation of solidarity warehouses and the building of humanitarian stockpiles, in France and internationally.

Beyond these initiatives, what I mainly take away from this conference is the mobilization it generated. Nearly 300 people were present in the room, which was full, in addition to many online participants. The minister opened the proceedings after a video message from the President of the Republic, and I had the honor of concluding the day before a room that was still largely mobilized. This participation testifies to the importance our fellow citizens attach to humanitarian action and to the vitality of the French ecosystem. In the difficult context the sector is going through today, this mobilization is also an encouragement to support the humanitarian ecosystem, and above all to defend it.

 

 

Alain Boinet: During this conference, three round tables addressed specific issues: international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles, reform of the humanitarian system, and partnerships between actors and innovative financing. You have already touched on various aspects of these round tables. Are there others you would like to highlight?

 

Gaël Veyssière: Another aspect seems important to me: the place given to humanitarian workers. Not everyone was in Paris, of course, but for those who were, as well as for those who followed the conference remotely, several photographic exhibitions highlighted international humanitarian law. This law is obviously essential, but it is also important that it be embodied. It is embodied by women and men who, every day, commit themselves to helping populations and who sometimes take considerable risks in carrying out their mission. It was therefore important to pay tribute to them, but also to recall that this tribute must translate concretely into support for their action and their protection. It is in this spirit that France supports initiatives such as Protect Aid Workers, which assists humanitarian workers and their families, particularly when they have been victims of attacks.

On the reform of the humanitarian system, there is a point I did not mention but which is important, and on which we have worked a great deal: humanitarian supply chains. How do we organize the entire chain, from the building of humanitarian stockpiles to their deployment, with our partners, notably the United Nations, so as to be able to react faster, more efficiently and in a better coordinated way? This is a real issue for France, and it is also an issue that will be discussed at the G7, notably by foreign ministers. Finally, it is an international issue, fundamentally a UN one.

 

 

During the third round table, devoted to partnerships between actors and innovative financing, several avenues were discussed, including the solidarity lotteries I mentioned earlier. Other ideas also emerged, such as how to better involve diasporas living in France originating from the countries where projects are carried out, or how to mobilize associative securities more.

There were thus many avenues and a real willingness to be creative, which, I believe, fully answered the call made by the minister at the start of the conference. But now, the essential thing is to give concrete follow-up to these reflections. The National Humanitarian Conference is held roughly every three years, but we absolutely must not wait three years to act. All these avenues and projects must now be explored in greater depth and translated into concrete progress. Faced with the multiplication and growing complexity of crises, and with the brutalization of the world we live in, we simply have no choice.

 

 

Alain Boinet: France has a humanitarian strategy of the French Republic, which currently covers the period 2023-2027. You have carried out a mid-term review from which you draw five lessons and seven courses of action for this year and next. What are its main thrusts?

 

Gaël Veyssière: We had this mid-term review carried out by an outside firm, because it was important to have some distance. The work was fairly thorough: a documentary analysis, 46 interviews, 67 key actors, two online surveys. The summary is online on the France Diplomatie website. The aim was first to measure the progress made since the strategy was published in 2023. Have we really managed to better adapt our humanitarian response to cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, food security, nutrition and climate, notably in the programs we fund directly?

The recommendations made echo, though I cannot detail them all here, several of the major themes addressed at the National Humanitarian Conference. They include continuing our commitment to international humanitarian law and the preservation of humanitarian space, but also improving the efficiency of aid, for example by pooling certain humanitarian services.

The question of annual programming priorities was also raised, as was that of communication. The latter is essential, because it also helps inspire people to get involved and makes humanitarian action known. Public accountability is indeed an important issue: humanitarian aid is a public policy, and we must therefore be able to explain what we do and account for it. This also involves working better with our partners and with our diplomatic network. We now have some thirty humanitarian correspondents within our embassies, which allows us to deploy better and stay closer to realities on the ground.

Finally, there is the question that professionals call the “nexus” between emergency, humanitarian aid and development. It rests on a very simple idea, somewhat like the one you raised about Ebola: there is the emergency phase, there is the development phase and, between the two, a stabilization phase is needed. The difficulty, naturally, is that these different phases do not fall under the same actors. At the CDCS, we mainly intervene in emergency and stabilization situations, while development falls to the French Development Agency (AFD). We are, however, increasingly seeking to build joint projects with the AFD, in order to ensure genuine continuity between these different stages: allowing the CDCS to intervene where needs still relate to stabilization, while the AFD can take over when conditions allow development actions to be undertaken. The goal is to work in an integrated manner, in a spirit of complementarity, without creating artificial boundaries between interventions.

There are therefore many subjects and many themes, and there will naturally be a final evaluation exercise at the end of the strategy.

 

 

Alain Boinet: The journal Défis humanitaires regularly analyzes the cause-and-effect links between geopolitical crises and their humanitarian consequences. In a recent document, the European Commission points out that there are currently 130 conflicts in the world, more than double the number fifteen years ago, and that they account for about 70% of global humanitarian needs. The CDCS also notes that global humanitarian aid contracted by 39% between 2023 and 2025, and by 44% in France. How could the reform of the humanitarian ecosystem cope with such an increase in needs and a simultaneous, massive and rapid drop in institutional funding?

 

Gaël Veyssière: We can clearly see the risk of a scissors effect that must be averted. On one side, as the minister announced, the government wants French humanitarian aid to increase in 2027. This is an important signal, because it breaks with the downward trend of recent years. But on the other side, in an international context where humanitarian funding is shrinking and budgets remain constrained, the whole ecosystem must also adapt. We must collectively be more efficient, better coordinated and more able to pool our resources. This is obviously not straightforward and represents a real challenge. France nevertheless has several assets to achieve this. The first is its expertise, notably that of its NGOs, whose quality is recognized, and sometimes even envied, internationally. Their experience and the strength of their structures allow them, despite current difficulties, to continue their activities and remain fully mobilized.

We must also strengthen work between donors and develop co-financing, in order to concentrate more resources on humanitarian priorities and achieve an impact commensurate with the needs. We already have partnerships of this type with the European Commission’s DG ECHO, notably in Palestine and West Africa. It is possible to go much further, and this is one of the areas on which we now wish to work.

We must also involve actors better: that is the whole idea of this humanitarian club, with foundations and private companies, but also with local authorities. The minister discussed these subjects, for example, with the mayor of Paris and with representatives of local elected officials’ associations, notably the first deputy mayor of Marseille, who is also vice-president of Cités Unies France. It is about moving beyond the presumption, the pride, that would lead a donor to believe it can do everything on its own. That is totally impossible, ontologically, and even more so given the gap between available resources and needs. We must go where humanitarian needs are greatest and intervene there in a way that produces real impact. When we cannot make a difference alone, we must do so with others. That is what matters.

This gives us an ambitious roadmap, which will obviously not be simple to implement. It is easier to move forward when budgets are rising sharply than when they have been falling for several years. But the stakes are truly worth it, for development aid, for the populations we support, but also because it serves our national interests, our European interests and our values at once. These, moreover, cannot be separated from one another.

 

 

Alain Boinet: In this context, what can you tell us about the European summit of October 15 and 16 in Brussels, notably on the multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034, both for the European Commission’s budget and for humanitarian aid, since Europe is one of the main humanitarian players in the world?

 

Gaël Veyssière: Negotiation of the multiannual financial framework is currently under way and promises to be particularly complex. The stakes are major, since it will determine the financial resources the European Union will have for the period 2028-2034. As the current framework expires in 2027, an agreement between heads of state and government will then have to be followed by a whole set of texts, legislative or regulatory in scope, so that the new framework can enter into force on January 1, 2028. It is therefore necessary to reach an agreement relatively quickly, all the more so as 2027 will be marked by major elections in many countries.

The discussion is, by nature, extremely difficult. I am not speaking here of humanitarian aid in particular, but of the European budget as a whole. Some states consider that after several difficult years, European spending must be reduced. Others, on the contrary, believe that the scale of the challenges facing the Union requires additional resources. For them, the answer lies notably in mobilizing truly European resources, the “own resources” that would make it possible to finance these priorities without placing an excessive burden on European taxpayers, who are also national taxpayers.

Among the proposals currently on the table is the idea of devoting a significant share of external aid to humanitarian action, with a floor of 25 billion euros for the period 2028-2034. That would obviously be a considerable step forward, and we have supported this approach in the discussions. But the negotiation is not over and, as you know, until everything is settled, nothing is guaranteed. I hope the heads of state and government will reach an agreement by the end of 2026, at the December European Council. That would then leave the necessary time to finalize all the texts. Time will tell, but in any case, we are sparing no effort to achieve it.

 

 

Alain Boinet. The European Commissioner for humanitarian aid, Hadja Lahbib, recently stated that the situation we are going through requires genuine humanitarian diplomacy, but that humanitarian actors cannot bear that responsibility alone. What do you think?

 

Gaël Veyssière: I think she is right. Humanitarian actors, and in particular humanitarian workers, are an irreplaceable voice of this diplomacy. But they are not the only ones who can carry it. Classical diplomacy, that of states, must also fully integrate this humanitarian dimension. That is what we strive to do, at the European level, as you recalled, but also at the national level or within the United Nations. It is important to maintain a kind of continuum: of course we must ensure funding, but also denounce violations of international humanitarian law and cases in which humanitarian workers are targeted, and be able to provide them with our support. We must, in a way, hold both ends of the chain.

It is also our responsibility to arrive at political expressions, whether within the United Nations, at the European level or nationally. For example, a declaration by foreign ministers on the situation in Sudan was adopted in June 2026, together with several European countries. When we can act within a common framework, that is obviously preferable; when that is not possible, we must be able to do so in a more restricted format. This shows that humanitarian diplomacy demands a great deal of flexibility. We must constantly juggle between what we do nationally, established frameworks and other, more ad hoc formats, which also allow these subjects to move forward.

I mentioned earlier the work we have carried out with the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is relatively easy to agree on broad objectives; the challenge is to translate them concretely and make them effective. It is daily work, which becomes increasingly difficult with the multiplication of conflicts and the intensification of conflict within crises themselves.

A word, precisely, about crises. You mentioned their multiplication, but the problem is also that they open quickly and close very slowly. In Ukraine, it has already been nearly five years and, for several months now, the war waged by Russia has lasted longer than the Second World War did for the Soviet Union. That puts things into perspective. One could cite other conflicts that drag on, as well as other unfortunately recurrent phenomena, such as climate phenomena. El Niño returns regularly and, unfortunately, we must learn to live with these phenomena. “No one will be able to say they did not know.”

 

 

Alain Boinet: To continue on this subject: in France as elsewhere in Europe, public opinion questions the very purpose of international solidarity, in the face of the difficulties of daily life and worries about the future. How should we respond to this question, to the raison d’être of international humanitarian aid?

 

Gaël Veyssière: First, we must talk about humanitarian needs. We all have a share of humanity, and when we see civilians suffering, children as victims, there is something natural and spontaneous in this desire for solidarity. But that is not enough. It is also important to show and explain that humanitarian aid makes it possible to fulfill this duty of international solidarity, but also to stabilize regional or local situations that would otherwise deteriorate. There cannot be stable and lasting peace as long as populations are in a disastrous humanitarian situation: that cannot exist, by definition. When one seeks minimal stability, it also goes through justice, and first of all through humanitarian aid.

It also defends our most direct interests. We spoke earlier about Ebola; it was the same with what was feared with hantavirus a few weeks ago. This kind of major epidemic threatens us all, and we do not have the luxury of changing address: we are on this earth, there is no planet B. What happens throughout the world concerns us, sooner or later affects us, and can threaten our most direct and vital interests. Protecting French citizens also requires being able to fight against this.

There is thus a form of responsibility, which combines values and interest, altruism and solidarity, but also self-protection. I believe that the hardest part, perhaps, is already done: it was accepting that it is necessary to talk about it and defend it. For many people, myself included, and probably you as well, it went without saying. Today, it no longer necessarily goes without saying. Well, we must fight this battle, we must explain it. That is what the Minister did at the National Humanitarian Conference. And I find it encouraging to see how people react when it is explained: it is a public policy, so naturally it must be presented and known, but there is also a real aspiration to a just, humane world, including among young people. We felt it at this National Humanitarian Conference: we had given the floor to two young people, because we had had young people work, in early September at the Fabrique de la Diplomatie, on humanitarian diplomacy. Young people are very engaged in international solidarity in our country.

Alain Boinet: I personally believe that international solidarity is compatible and complementary with national solidarity. The role of a government is first and foremost to look after its fellow citizens: that is the legitimacy of political responsibility. But a great country like France also has global responsibilities, which it must carry out in various areas, and humanitarian aid is one of them. The world needs it to respond to crises and to ensure as much stability as possible, to prevent everything from spiraling out of control and dragging us who knows where, toward something even more dangerous for everyone and for France itself.

 

For our readers, could you remind us of the missions of the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which you head?

 

Gaël Veyssière: With pleasure. The Crisis and Support Center was created in 2008, from an idea of Bernard Kouchner: to take the DNA of emergency, including humanitarian emergency, and infuse it into the administration, within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, so that there would be a place where one could think about crisis and react in crisis mode, if need be. The center has several missions. The first is a monitoring mission. When I arrived at the ministry, many years ago, young diplomats themselves took night shifts in the basements of the Quai d’Orsay. Their role was to raise the alarm in the event of an important incident. I did it several times; it was not particularly effective.

Today, this mission is carried out by two professional watch officers, specially trained for the purpose. They monitor around the clock, including at night and on weekends, everything that could threaten the safety of French people abroad. They liaise between the different actors, react to situations and, when necessary, alert the highest authorities so that we can protect our compatriots. This mission is therefore primarily about the safety of French people: it can go as far as organizing repatriations when a significant threat arises, but also any other form of assistance required. This is the classic diplomatic and consular dimension, which remains at the heart of a foreign ministry’s activity.

The second major mission is the one we have discussed so far: humanitarian aid. The Crisis and Support Center manages, for the ministry, the aid that we implement directly or with French, international or local NGOs. We are, moreover, seeking to strengthen our cooperation with local structures. This action is carried out in complementarity with two other bodies of the ministry: one is involved notably in financing humanitarian aid via the United Nations, which is the ministry’s United Nations Directorate, while the other, the Directorate for Global Affairs, works on more specific subjects, such as food and the fight against malnutrition. In total, the center has more than a hundred staff, united around the same DNA: crisis management, whether humanitarian or consular.

When a major crisis occurs, we activate a crisis unit. Most of the center’s staff then have a dual function: they keep their usual mission while reinforcing the team in charge of managing the crisis. With Red Cross volunteers and other colleagues from the ministry, they can thus handle the thousands of calls that come into the ministry, answer requests, gather information on our compatriots abroad and determine how to help them. In parallel, we can also provide a humanitarian response to the crisis’s other victims.

The Crisis and Support Center reports to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, but it also has an interministerial vocation. When a crisis unit is activated, the other relevant ministries are involved in the response: the Armed Forces, the Interior, Health, of course, but also Transport, notably through civil aviation. The objective is to coordinate, under the minister’s authority, all available resources in order to help our compatriots. It is also this logic of coordination and complementarity that we are seeking to develop in the field of humanitarian aid.

 

Alain Boinet: How would you like to conclude now?

 

Gaël Veyssière: I would like to conclude on a note of optimism, or at least of commitment. The humanitarian situation is difficult; we have talked about the multiplication of crises. But we have many means, many tools, and above all the skills and talents to be engaged and effective. There are always many difficulties, but, despite them, the essential thing is the will to face this reality and to act. It is really, in a way, a morality of action.

I am proud to have this responsibility, with a team at the Crisis and Support Center that is wonderful, incredible, action-oriented, and that is certainly something we have in common with the NGOs and the French humanitarian ecosystem. What I truly wish is that we can play our role fully to move from mobilization to action, and that we do so every day, in the most effective, determined and committed way possible.