Here’s a reflection I’ve been grappling with: Whenever I find myself in the same room with local civil society or grassroots organizations, I often feel an overwhelming urge to apologize. What international humanitarian and development organizations need to fully realize is that the way we approach operational partnerships reflects how seriously we take our accountability to the affected populations we aim to serve. "Whole of society," "localization," and "strategic partnerships" aren’t just buzzwords—they stem from lessons learned through past failures and deficiencies in humanitarian aid. When we prioritize partnerships with a single actor to the exclusion of others, we ignore a fundamental reality: no single actor —can shoulder the full burden of crisis response, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. When emergencies strike and government systems falter, the gaps in preparedness and response capabilities become painfully evident. In these moments, it’s clear that failing to build and sustain strong, active partnerships with local civil society organizations can inadvertently deepen humanitarian crises. Sometimes we become overly focused on numbers. Scale is indeed important and remains crucial, but it must not come at the expense of humanitarian principles. True accountability demands inclusivity and a commitment to empowering those who are closest to the communities we aim to serve.
Salma Zaky’s Post
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1. What do you perceive as the most pressing humanitarian needs in our community? 2. How aware are you of ongoing relief and development efforts in our region? 3. Have you or someone you know ever accessed humanitarian aid or relief services? If yes, please specify. 4. How satisfied are you with the current availability and accessibility of humanitarian services in our community? 5. What barriers, if any, have you encountered when accessing humanitarian aid or relief services? 6. In your opinion, what role should local organizations play in humanitarian relief and development efforts? 7. How important do you believe international collaboration is in addressing global humanitarian challenges? 8. Are you willing to volunteer or contribute to humanitarian relief and development efforts in our community? If yes, in what capacity? 9. What suggestions do you have for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian relief and development initiatives? 10. How optimistic are you about the future of humanitarian relief and development efforts in our community?
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Title: Addressing the Global Humanitarian Crisis: Collaborative Efforts Needed Amidst the ongoing challenges facing our world, the humanitarian situation demands urgent attention and coordinated efforts from all stakeholders. Conflicts, natural disasters, and pandemics have left millions vulnerable and in need of assistance. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector must work together to provide essential support and resources to those most affected. Efforts to address the humanitarian crisis require a multifaceted approach, encompassing emergency aid, long-term development assistance, and sustainable solutions. Beyond immediate relief, investing in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment is crucial to building resilience and promoting recovery in affected communities. Collaboration among international organizations, governments, and local communities is essential to ensure effective response and coordination. By joining forces and pooling resources, we can enhance the impact of our collective efforts and reach those in the greatest need. Empathy, solidarity, and a shared commitment to humanitarian principles are imperative in navigating the complex challenges facing our world today. Together, we can make a difference and build a more inclusive and compassionate society for all. #humanitarian #humanity #NGO #GLOBAL
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IFRC Under Secretary General for National Society Development and Operations Coordination
Humanitarian efforts are facing unprecedented challenges. 5 things we can do to make a difference in the lives of those affected by crises! Increasing polarization, fragmentation, politicization, and criminalization of humanitarian actions are severely hampering service delivery. Why? 🛑 Disinformation Crisis: The rampant spread of disinformation is undermining our core mission to save lives and reduce the impact of conflicts, disasters, and other crises. 🔵 Access Restrictions: Often, support is hindered by authorities restricting access or communities reacting negatively due to misinformation. 5 things What Can We Do? These challenges necessitate sophisticated planning to protect humanitarian organizations from becoming targets. Rapidly changing contexts demand adaptive strategies to ensure aid reaches those in need. Concrete actions: 1. Invest in Preparedness: There’s an urgent need for greater investment in preparedness and system development to sustain humanitarian services and a need to allocate more resources for preparedness measures and system development. 2. Reinforce Core Values: We must emphasize accountability, transparency, and strict adherence to humanitarian principles to maintain the integrity of our efforts. 3. Combat Disinformation: Developing strategies to counteract misinformation and educating communities on the importance of humanitarian aid is crucial. 4. Promote Transparency: Strengthen accountability mechanisms to ensure operational integrity. 5. Engage Stakeholders: Work closely with authorities, communities, and donors to build trust and support. By addressing these key areas, we can enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian work and ensure aid reaches those in need, despite the growing challenges worldwide as you can see in the image below. Let’s commit to making a difference in the lives of those affected by crises. #HumanitarianAid #CrisisResponse #Transparency #Preparedness #Accountability
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Humanitarian aid worker, gained vast experience by working in crisis affected & dynamic context, with the ultimatum goal of improving lives of vulnerable communities through education and making more resilient to shocks
Notably: While humanitarian aid is crucial in crisis situations, fostering dependency on external assistance can undermine long-term development and recovery. Moving from emergency relief to sustainable solutions, building local capacity, and encouraging self-reliance are essential to break the cycle of humanitarian dependency and ensure communities can thrive independently in the future.
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Ahead of the European Humanitarian Forum, together with THIERRY BENLAHSEN have gathered 60+ experts to discuss how we could do better to respond to the needs of affected communities in the most neglected crises. Read here what came out of it :
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The Australian government just released Australia’s Humanitarian Policy, which includes 3 priorities it will focus on: 1) Building readiness and preparedness 2) Responding to crises and disasters 3) Reinforcing the international humanitarian system Read our Intel where we asked Beth Eggleston, Naomi Brooks, & Jules Frost: If you could have one thing guaranteed in the new humanitarian strategy, what would it be? https://lnkd.in/gjtgkF_R Read the policy here: https://lnkd.in/gxsxUUSq
The Intel • If you could have one thing guaranteed in the new humanitarian strategy, what would it be?
devintelligencelab.com
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SHIFTING OUR PURPOSE: We seek to create a decentralised, locally-led, and collaborative humanitarian system. To achieve such a large-scale system change, we drive shifts that put aid action in the hands of local organisations. Our purpose comes from combining our vision, mission, and values to build a more accountable humanitarian aid model that answers to the people most affected and at risk of crises. Read through how we did it:https://bit.ly/4dHFCNR
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localization means empowering local responders in affected countries to lead and deliver humanitarian aid. It aims at strengthening the capacity and resources of local organizations to respond to crises and promote long-term sustainability but this cannot be achieved unless donors and INGOs deliberately provide support to local actors to walk through the road of graduation to its end destiny of being able to carry out programmes and projects with the utmost effectiveness and efficiency ,this is a long process that needs coordination and joint efforts
The Donor Community should speak to local and national actors directly, outside of frameworks they are funding and without going through INGO intermediaries - only then can these conversations be meaningful. (Session on participation of local responders in designing humanitarian response at the European Humanitarian Forum) #EHF2024 #EuropeanHumanitarianForum #LocalResponders #DutchReliefAlliance
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🌍 Over the past decade, humanitarian emergencies have surged in number, size, and severity. This has placed unprecedented strain on the international aid system, which struggles to keep pace with the financial and human resources needed for effective response. Compounding the challenge, humanitarian work has become increasingly perilous for aid workers, who often face violations of international humanitarian law meant to protect them. A recent analysis from The Wilson Center Quarterly confronts these escalating humanitarian needs, emphasizing the urgent requirement for innovative solutions and stronger global cooperation. As we witness growing conflicts, climate crises, and economic instabilities, the need for a robust, responsive humanitarian system has never been more critical. Let's advocate for and work towards a humanitarian system that not only meets the demands of today but is resilient enough to address the challenges of tomorrow. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gTJAkfmX
Confronting Unprecedented Humanitarian Needs
wilsonquarterly.com
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The 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) requires $48.65B to assist 187.8M people in need across 71 countries. As of the end of May 2024, reported GHO funding stands at $7.85B, which is 20% less than the $9.8B reported at the same time last year. Currently, there is a $40.8B gap between the financial requirements and available resources. Adequate GHO funding is crucial for effectively responding to global humanitarian crises. I am anticipating next week's United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS), where we will deepen the discussion on the Global Humanitarian Overview and discuss both current and emerging humanitarian challenges. Read the Global Humanitarian Overview 2024 update here 👉 https://bit.ly/4cdff1t Together, we #InvestInHumanity
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