Elizabeth Hoff, who heads the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) work in Syria, believes Norway and other humanitarian agencies should do more to bring the wartorn country back on track.
Since 2012, Hoff has led the work of the WHO in Syria, and she has witnessed the ravages of war in the country.
‘I still think that man is mostly good, but that too many men in black suits make bad decisions; both in Syria, and in the international community’, she told VG newspaper in Damascus.
Although the war is far from over, tens of thousands of Syrians have begun to return home after escaping. Many of them are returning to ruined homes. Schools and health services don’t exist, and land mines take new victims daily.
Hoff believes all agencies must take responsibility for Syria’s future, even though it means working with President Bashar al-Assad.
‘These are innocent people. We must help people get back to their homes’, Hoff said.
Norway has contributed a lot to humanitarian work, but Hoff believes it has failed when it comes to reconstruction of the country.
‘Norway should do more. And not just Norway, all the humanitarian parties should do more to help the country’, she said at the WHO Summit. She also advocated a European ‘Marshall Plan’ style recovery for cities like Aleppo.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
