There is never a humanitarian solution for a humanitarian crisis. The solutions for the humanitarian crisis are always political ones.
Antonio GuterresRead
If resources become scarce, people tend to fight for them. This is increasing the number of people on the move and the number of people forced to move. They're not refugees, according to the legal definition, but they represent a major humanitarian and human rights challenge, as well as a major challenge for world politics.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scarcity of resources leads to conflict and displacement among people.
This quote by Antonio Guterres highlights the critical issue of resource scarcity and its consequences on human societies. He points out that when resources become limited, individuals often find themselves in conflict over these essentials, which leads to increased displacement and migration. Even though many of these individuals do not meet the official definition of refugees, they still face significant humanitarian challenges and pose complex political issues globally.
Themes
ResourcesConflictDisplacementHumanitarianChallenge
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about climate change, a leader might say, 'As Guterres pointed out, if resources become scarce, people tend to fight for them.'
More from Antonio Guterres
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Syria has become the great tragedy of this century - a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history.
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