Extra: Ian Van Engelgem - The EU's Role in Humanitarian Aid and Health Assistance

This episode is a partnership with the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO).

Ian Van Engelgem is a Health Advisor with the EU’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Ian is based in Dakar, Senegal, where he draws from a wealth of experience in humanitarian health aid. He began his career as an emergency ward doctor in Belgium, before moving to Guinea with Médecins Sans Frontières, where he provided vital medical assistance to refugees from the Sierra Leone conflict. Since then, Ian has worked across countries like Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Kenya, with a focus on providing healthcare to displaced populations and controlling disease outbreaks. Currently, he advises on health and nutrition policies, guiding the EU's humanitarian aid during crises.

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Índice:

(0:00) Introduction

(3:23) The need for Humanitarian Aid in today’s World.

(12:38) How does EU Humanitarian Aid work in practice? Echo flight. Humanitarian Air Bridge (EU HAB). International humanitarian law

(20:40) The crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

(23:17) EU Health Assistance 

(31:38) Evolution of EU capacity

(34:16) New MPox epidemic, declared by WHO as a “public health emergency of international concern”

(39:58) EU Health Assistance: mental health interventions

(45:11) What to expect in the future from EU Humanitarian Aid?

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Did you know that the European Union is playing an increasingly pivotal role in the global response to humanitarian crises? That is precisely the subject of today’s episode, with a focus on health assistance.

In this conversation, Ian Van Engelgem, Health Advisor with DG ECHO, highlights the growing need for humanitarian aid in today’s world. He explains the EU’s role, through institutions like DG ECHO, in directly intervening in crises, describing the scope of its operations—from its budget size to the main countries receiving aid. We explore the EU’s use of different mechanisms to assist those facing situations ranging from conflicts to disease outbreaks, such as the Covid pandemic or the 2014 Ebola epidemic.

We discussed some of the most relevant cases today, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country grappling with both conflict and ongoing disease outbreaks, such as the current Mpox epidemic, which the WHO recently classified as a “public health emergency of international concern.”

A key focus of our conversation is health assistance, including how previously overlooked aspects like mental health are now receiving greater attention. Ian shares his insights into how humanitarian aid is evolving and what the future holds for EU operations in this space.

For our Portuguese-speaking listeners, you might recall my recent episode with João Silva, also from DG ECHO, where we discussed the EU’s civil protection efforts in fighting natural disasters, from wildfires to floods. In today’s episode, I found it particularly interesting to explore how the EU’s humanitarian aid complements and expands on its civil protection work—and I hope you’ll find it just as enlightening.

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This episode was edited by Hugo Oliveira

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