An alarming number of countries are trapped in humanitarian crises that are increasingly protracted or recurring due to a combination of complex conflict dynamics, economic and development challenges, political instability, insecurity, and cyclical natural hazards. There are humanitarian needs on an epic scale occurring in simultaneous crises around the world. And in spite of the considerable growth of the international humanitarian sector and record levels of humanitarian financing, the gap (…)
The ICM hosted a public consultation on June 3rd on its discussion paper “Humanitarian Engagements.”
Watch the webcast:
Never before has the gap between humanitarian needs and the international capacity to deliver an adequate humanitarian response appeared greater than it does today. The ICM’s discussion paper on Humanitarian Engagements aims to identify the main reasons underlying this reality and to trigger a discussion on how the multilateral system anchored in the United Nations can (…)
Never before has the gap between humanitarian needs and the international capacity to deliver an adequate humanitarian response appeared greater than it does today. This paper aims to identify the main reasons underlying this reality and to trigger a discussion on how the multilateral system can better prevent and respond to humanitarian crises.
Interviews
Civilians should not be attacked, health facilities should not be bombed, schools should be off-limits, and there should be provisions for providing assistance to besieged communities. These basic humanitarian principles should be the top priorities for any confidence-building measures in the ongoing Syrian peace talks, according to Elizabeth Ferris, Research Professor at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
“Any (…)
With 20 million refugees and 40 million internally displaced people globally, issues of forced displacement have hit the top of the political and economic agenda, including the World Economic Forum discussions in Switzerland this week. In a keynote address delivered during the Independent Commission on Multilateralism retreat on humanitarian engagement, International Rescue Committee President David Miliband, said the escalating crisis required not just more, but also better, humanitarian (…)
Efforts to fight terrorism and extremism are increasingly in tension with international humanitarian laws such as those around delivering medical aid in conflicts, according to Naz Modirzadeh, Director of Harvard Law School’s Program on International Law and Armed Conflict.
“For over 150 years, the laws of war have very clearly articulated that medical care must be provided to wounded and sick fighters,” Ms. Modirzadeh said, on the sidelines of an Independent Commission on Multilateralism (…)