Last month, UNICEF UK held its annual reception at the Royal Society of Arts in Aldwych. The reception is a yearly meeting of our donors and fundraisers. The speakers this year were UNICEF UK President Lord Ashdown and Dermot Carty, UNICEF's Head of Emergency Programmes.
During the reception, Dermot was interviewed at the RSA by UNICEF's On Campus Regional Coordinator for the South West, Katie Reeves.
Above: Katie chats with Dermot Carty at the UNICEF annual reception. © UNICEF 2011/Isabelle Andrews
Dermot Carty has worked for UNICEF since 1993, and has held a number of important positions, including Director of Operations for North Sudan, Landmines and Small Arms Team Coordinator, and Senior Programme Officer in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, Dermot worked on a project that helped more than six million children return to school, an experience he built on in Liberia and post-tsunami Indonesia. He currently works as UNICEF's Director of Emergency Programmes.
Right now, UNICEF's — and Dermot's — number one priority is East Africa, where children are facing a a desperate crisis caused by prolonged drought, soaring food prices, and ongoing conflict in Somalia.
KATIE REEVES: How does UNICEF go about forming relationships with aid groups in developing countries, especially where security is a problem?
DERMOT CARTY: We've been based in Somalia since 1972, so we have long-standing connections with NGOs in the country and have formed close relationships with them. Where security is an issue we can use these contacts to deliver services where we cannot. For example, in Somalia, 330 former child soldiers and children at risk of recruitment have been reached through community-based programmes offering vocational skills training and school integration.
KR: Are those relationships sustainable?
DC: Yes, that's the beauty of having long-term relationships with an organisation. Once they are set up we aim to help them to help themselves.
KR: Could you provide an example of how you have used these relationships to prevent an emergency getting worse or even from starting?
DC: In Pakistan there was a 50-day flood affecting 10 million people and by training community activists to teach locals about hygiene issues, such as where to go to the toilet and how to wash hands, we prevented an outbreak of cholera, which could have been disastrous.
KR: You mentioned in a UNICEF television interview that UNICEF has been warning for many years about the fragile situation in East Africa. What strategies are in place to take action earlier?
DC: Delivering services in difficult situations when there is an impending crisis is a key challenge, and it can be quite frustrating, especially when local political parties — there are 104 in Somalia — are not all singing from the same hymn sheet. Programmes are difficult to deliver in areas that are out of control, so it's important to engage with local leaders to gain access. It's in these times that we rely on the long-term relationships we have built with certain groups of people.
KR: I'm sure UNICEF On Campus students would be glad to hear that you commended the Get Children Climate Ready campaign that so many of the students have been involved with.
DC: Yes, it's a really important issue because it is affecting the developing world and so many aspects of our work. If we can tackle climate change issues then we might be able to work on more preventative strategies rather than having to focus on reactive strategies in response to natural disasters, so I thank everyone that has put such hard work into campaigning this summer.
KR: I'm sure those involved will be glad to hear that. One last question: in your presentation, you joked that humanitarian workers were seen as "crazy". What advice would you give to aspiring crazies?
DC: Ah yes, you have to be a little crazy to do some of the things we do. Are we adrenalin junkies? Looking for love? Running away? Most are all three. I know I am! Just get out there, get stuck in, get work, and talk to people.
Find out about UNICEF On Campus