Humanitarian Policy Group

📖 READ our recent report: "Making Myanmar: humanitarianism amid revolutionary state-building" → buff.ly/W8VSnxL

📺 WATCH our LinkedIn Live with experts Dustin Barter & Stella Naw → buff.ly/QVzUckh

🎧 LISTEN to the What's Happening in Myanmar podcast, via Frontier Myanmar → buff.ly/PPrVg0t (2/2)

Amid junta violence, local resistance groups are building new systems of governance and security in #Myanmar – and the international humanitarian system is failing to adapt. Get up to speed with our latest research, which gets to the heart of Myanmar’s post-2021 coup transformation... (1/2)

🚨 TOMORROW! Join us for this critical discussion – sign up now...

🔴 STARTING SOON! Join our LinkedIn Live discussion exploring #Myanmar's post-2021 coup transformation, with expert researchers Dustin Barter and Stella Naw → lnkd.in/ehqWgTME

With the 80th UN General Assembly under way, HPG Director Freddie Carver highlights the urgent need for challenging conversations about legitimacy and the role of different actors within the humanitarian sector.

🎧 Listen in full now: buff.ly/RaxGL17 #UNGA80 #ThinkChange

What now for inclusion? Navigating the new era of cuts and resets Tuesday 7 October, online 2:00-3:30pm (BST) Speakers: Moderator: Nimo Hassan (Somalia NGO Consortium) Lois Auta (Network of Women with Disabilities/Cedar Seed Foundation) Rhea Tariq (HelpAge International) Gemma Connel (UN OCHA) Dr Veronique Barbelet (HPG/ODI Global) Sara Brodd (SIDA)

💡 Join HPG and @helpage.bsky.social for an online discussion on what current funding and policy trends mean for the inclusion of marginalised and at-risk groups.

🔗 More info and RSVP → buff.ly/uWByt2M

🌐 Attending #UNGA80? HPG Director Freddie Carver will be speaking at a side event tomorrow (Wednesday 24 September, 11AM-1PM EDT), organised by @give-directly.bsky.social and @govuganda.bsky.social, to share findings from this research – email tallulah.manalo@givedirectly.org to RSVP. (2/2)

Make aid go further – give cash first in crises In the face of difficult trade-offs and funding cuts, cash provides a cost-efficient option that cuts across outcomes, mandates and timeframes. In the current climate, the temptation to return to…

💸 In a humanitarian crisis, cash assistance is a hugely effective tool to supporting economic growth. Our latest policy brief urges donors, governments & the humanitarian sector to make aid go further by giving cash first in a crisis. Learn more: buff.ly/xDT8Gfm (1/2)

🗓️ Interested in finding out more about this critical research? We will be hosting a LinkedIn Live discussion on Wednesday 1 October, where we will hear from two of the report's authors, Dustin and Stella, as they explore the ongoing situation in #Myanmar. Join them: lnkd.in/ehqWgTME

How women lead: women-led organisations as humanitarian crisis responders In this paper, we document the current role that WLOs are playing in crisis response, collating snapshots and examples drawn from evaluations, case studies and other published sources.

ICYMI: Our recent research delves into the vital role of women led organisations (WLOs) as humanitarian crisis responders, and unpacks the myriad sectoral, financial and social challenges they face.

🔗 Find out more: buff.ly/NAjy6qJ

Amid junta violence, local resistance groups are building new systems of governance and security in #Myanmar – and the international humanitarian system is failing to adapt. Our new report, in collaboration with activist Stella Naw, gets to the heart of Myanmar’s transformation ➡️ buff.ly/wnJK94P

Think Change Podcast UNGA 80 - what kid of UN does the world need today? Guests dissect the credibility crisis facing the UN and reforms it must make to respond to today's fractured global order.

As #UNGA80 unfolds, the UN faces various existential challenges – climate, conflict, displacement and a crisis of relevance. @odi.global's latest #ThinkChange podcast episode, featuring HPG Director Freddie Carver, explores what kind of UN the world needs today.

🎧 Listen in now: buff.ly/9afdfsY

Why people displaced by conflict are particularly vulnerable to climate risks The effects of climate change do not affect everyone equally.

HPG Research Fellow @kerrie115.bsky.social explores the link between conflict, displacement and climate change – drawing on key examples from Sudan, Colombia, Bangladesh and beyond – in this new article for @uk.theconversation.com.

🔗 Read in full 👉 buff.ly/BcycfrQ

📢 NEW RESEARCH: With extensive knowledge of local contexts and roots within crisis-affected communities, why are women-led organisations still chronically underfunded and excluded from decision-making? Our new paper from @this-is-cate.bsky.social & @megandaigle.bsky.social explores: buff.ly/NAjy6qJ

💸 As aid cuts crunch down on the humanitarian sector, it's more important than ever that direct cash assistance to individuals continues – and in fact scales up – in order to sustain/accelerate economic growth.

More from researcher @kerrie115.bsky.social in a new HPG policy brief → buff.ly/6cyVQ9X

The lives and livelihoods of internally displaced people in Mosul, Iraq This paper explores how IDPs in Mosul are rebuilding their lives and livelihoods amidst poor economic conditions, crumbling infrastructure and ongoing risks from extreme and erratic weather…

🇮🇶 ICYMI: Our recent case study highlights the experience of some of the 85,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) who remain in Mosul, Iraq – whether through choice or circumstance – and how they are finding ways to support themselves and their families. Read on: buff.ly/bbv0Th3 @iom.int

Humanitarian evacuations: practice, guidance, research gaps and lessons This briefing note explores recent practice on humanitarian evacuations and learnings from such practice, and examines current guidance and gaps in evidence. It is based on a light-touch review of…

ICYMI: Our latest briefing unpacks the 'niche' practice of humanitarian evacuation. Often viewed as a last resort due to multiple complexities, this paper explores how humanitarian evacuations can be done in a way that promotes protection and reduces risk. Read on 👉 buff.ly/gnmvp0q

Leopard spots and the problem of change: crisis in the humanitarian sector Designed to respond to crisis, the humanitarian aid sector now finds itself in one. Major funding cuts are shaking the system, but perhaps even more seismic are the questions this moment is forcing…

📖 LONG READ: Designed to respond to crisis, the humanitarian aid sector now finds itself in one. Major funding cuts are shaking the system, but perhaps even more seismic are the questions this moment is forcing us to ask. More from humanitarian analyst Marc DuBois: buff.ly/aHObuM2

The lives and livelihoods of urban internally displaced people in Mekelle, Ethiopia The Mekelle paper is the first in a series of studies designed to piece together the wider puzzle of livelihoods in displacement.

This paper is the second in a series of studies designed to piece together the wider puzzle of livelihoods in displacement. It was preceded by a study on Mekelle, Ethiopia, which you can also read here: buff.ly/gx5zgc5 [2/2]

The lives and livelihoods of internally displaced people in Mosul, Iraq This paper explores how IDPs in Mosul are rebuilding their lives and livelihoods amidst poor economic conditions, crumbling infrastructure and ongoing risks from extreme and erratic weather…

🚨 NEW: Our latest study from researcher @kerrie115.bsky.social & others explores how internally displaced people in Mosul, Iraq, are rebuilding their lives and livelihoods amidst poor economic conditions, crumbling infrastructure & ongoing risks from climate change ➡️ buff.ly/bbv0Th3 [1/2] @iom.int

Humanitarian evacuations: practice, guidance, research gaps and lessons This briefing note explores recent practice on humanitarian evacuations and learnings from such practice, and examines current guidance and gaps in evidence. It is based on a light-touch review of…

📣 OUT NOW: Our new briefing explores the practice of humanitarian evacuation in conflict settings, which is often seen as a last resort due to ethical dilemmas and risks involved. HPG researcher @verobarbelet.bsky.social unpacks in detail, with examples from Ukraine and Syria ⤵️

Rethinking deportations from the US: from lose–lose to win–win Mass deportations are not a new strategy in US politics. But it's time to move beyond the excessive securitisation approach.

"The dominant narrative around migration in the US today is not simply about border control or national security – it is a carefully constructed spectacle that serves specific political & economic purposes."

More from researchers @this-is-cate.bsky.social & Yacine Ait-Larbi:

"The problem is not simply how the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is contributing towards death traps and killing fields for Palestinians seeking aid, but how it normalises brutal, corporatised humanitarianism." – Dustin Barter, HPG Senior Research Fellow

Read on ⤵️

Who decides on humanitarian reform? Reflections on our recent event where we asked Global South humanitarians what they – and the communities they are embedded within – want to change within the sector.

🚨 NEW BLOG: The 'humanitarian reset', prompted by massive global aid cuts, has sparked criticism for being dominated by Global North voices. We asked Global South humanitarians what they – and the communities they are embedded within – want to change. Read on for their responses ➡️ bit.ly/4mS8s22

Financial access challenges specific to non-profit organisations, notably local and faith-based organisations This outcome note summarises discussions and recommendations from the Humanitarian Policy Group’s recent international dialogue, held on 4 December 2024, which explored specific operational and financ...

💸 #FinancialAccessChallenges specific to non-profit organisations, notably local & faith-based orgs

Read findings from our dialogue exploring financial access challenges for local & faith-based orgs, who often face the heaviest burden when it comes to #sanctions: buff.ly/PFmhb9B 6/6

Supporting communities’ humanitarian, protection and peace mediation in Northern Ireland This paper explores the successes and challenges of community-based mediation in Northern Ireland, where, almost 27 years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the roots of conflict remain unres...

🗣️ Supporting communities’ humanitarian, protection & peace mediation in #NorthernIreland

Key aspects of the Good Friday Agreement remain underdelivered – so unresolved conflict/violence/division persist. #CommunityMediators are critical to addressing this, says Gemma Davies: buff.ly/2hxlfLK 5/6

Reclaiming the narrative: the impact of power and voice in aid collaboration We evaluate the extent of success of the Neem–HPG partnership in achieving its goal, and analyse the existing power differentials in international aid priorities.

🤝 Reclaiming the narrative: the impact of power and voice in #AidCollaboration

Neem Foundation & HPG partnered on a research project highlighting ongoing power imbalances rooted in #colonialism and white supremacy in Global North-Global South research collaborations: buff.ly/AkKeTeL 4/6

How humanitarians can support Syria's fragile post-conflict transition Syria’s interim government has announced its first post-Assad elections, but deep societal fractures and recent violence highlight the ongoing fragile situation.

🇸🇾 How humanitarians can support #Syria's fragile post-conflict transition

Syria’s interim govt announces its first post-Assad elections, but societal fractures/violence persist. In this fraught context, Leen Fouad urges humanitarians to prioritise #localisation & accountability: buff.ly/KIDEuOA 3/6

Owning the response: nationally led disaster governance in Indonesia Over the past two decades, Indonesia has shifted to a nationally led approach to responding to disasters, bucking a global trend for responses dominated by the international aid sector. What can be l...

🇮🇩 Owning the response: nationally led disaster governance in #Indonesia

With #FundingCuts forcing changes to int'l responses, is Indonesia a model for what can be learned when crisis responses are more nationally led @j0hnbryant.bsky.social & @adelinakamal.bsky.social explore: buff.ly/BiEGpbm 2/6

Two rescue workers rowing a life raft containing several civilians through a flooded town (Indonesia)

This #WorldHumanitarianDay, catch up on our recent work advocating for global solidarity and highlighting local communities, who, despite funding and structural challenges, form the backbone of many humanitarian responses. 🧵 1/6