Toward a Shared Understanding of Civilian Harm
As the number of armed conflicts continues to rise globally, so, too, does civilian harm, resulting in the highest number of displaced persons and increased need for humanitarian assistance, as seen in the last decade. Yet, military and political attention remains overwhelmingly focused on the direct impact of…
Roadmap for Research
The lack of systematic research and peer-reviewed publications in the humanitarian sector—particularly in shelter and settlements assistance—sheds light on the need for stronger relationships between humanitarian actors, research institutions, and donors to bring greater understanding of the experiences at the forefront of a crisis. As illustrated in InterAction’s Wider…
InterAction Statement on Looming Threat of Famine in Tigray
Considering the rapidly-deteriorating situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, InterAction released the following statement: The United Nations (U.N.) is now warning of famine in Tigray, Ethiopia in 2021 without additional aid and access to those most in need. In Tigray, 5.2 million people—a staggering 80% of the region’s population—now…
The Future of Asylum in a Post-Pandemic World
The COVID-19 pandemic has not diminished the need to provide safety for millions of people around the world who have fled war, persecution, and violence. Yet, systems to provide protection to the forcibly displaced have been tested over the last year. The pandemic has reinforced the need for a renewed…
How the World Bank Group Can Ensure Displaced People Are Not Left Behind
The world witnessed historically high levels of forced displacement in the last decade, resulting in human suffering and heightened stress on host communities, and decreased likelihood of reducing global poverty. By mid-2020, the number of forcibly displaced people topped record numbers at 80 million globally, including 26.4 million refugees,…
Gender-Based Violence Prevention
In 2019, with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) support, InterAction launched a two-year project to develop a results-based Gender-Based Violence Prevention Evaluation Framework (GBV PEF) to help organizations measure and evaluate the outcomes of their GBV prevention work in humanitarian contexts. This framework was created in collaboration…
Climate Resilient Debt Management
The world is facing three global disasters all at once: climate change, extreme global debt, and COVID-19. As we grapple with the defining public health crisis of our time, the global economy is experiencing the worst economic collapse since World War II, all while climate change continues to threaten…
InterAction Statement on Escalation of Violence and Humanitarian Need in Gaza and the Region
Considering the recent escalation in violence between the Government of Israel, Palestinian Authorities, and Non-State Armed Groups resulting in attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, humanitarian aid workers, and facilities in the region; InterAction issued the following statement: Acts that amount to grave breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) have…
Power, Privilege & the Realities of NGO Localization Efforts Amid COVID-19
Localization is a fashionable topic in the humanitarian community. The COVID-19 pandemic—where containment measures continue to disrupt humanitarian access—has ignited a new urgency to address the subject. A focal point of this conversation on localization originates with the creation and commitment to the Grand Bargain, which aims to increase…
Making Amends for Civilian Harm: The Case for Reforming U.S. Ex Gratia Policy
When U.S. military actions abroad harm civilian populations, making amends should focus primarily on fulfilling the needs and wants of affected civilians via ex gratia payments. However, supporting U.S. strategic interests and fulfilling mission objectives is unfortunately the ongoing primary focus of current U.S. policy on ex gratia payments, leaving…
Celebrating Cultural Diversity Through Solidarity
Since its declaration in December 2002, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on May 21 reminds us to uplift all voices and affirm diverse perspectives in discussions around economic and social development. During the week of May 17, to celebrate the importance of unity and…
Designing the New NGO Aid Map
InterAction is working to re-design the NGO Aid Map tool, re-orienting this critical resource to the challenges of the NGO sector today. Previously we’ve published two blogs on this topic, covering earlier phases in our design process: The first (from April 2020) frames the challenge and how we planned…