Humanitarians, beware the lure of artificial intelligence
This article is only available in English. Published on 5 August 2026 Behind the promise of efficiency, a warning. Two authors versed in both AI and humanitarian protection dissect the...
Understanding the crisis of humanitarian action in the age of climate change
Whether this is the “age of crises”,[1]Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, States of Fragility 2022, OECD Publishing, 2022, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/states-of-fragility-2022_c7fedf5e-en polycrisis or permacrisis, the idea that we are living in...
Climate change and humanitarian crises: a nuanced perspective
The relationship between climate change and humanitarian crises is often oversimplified in public discourse. Contrary to popular belief, climate change is not the direct cause of disasters, but rather an...
One health and planetary health in humanitarian settings
Considering the growing interconnection between climate and health crises, two complementary conceptual frameworks are emerging in the humanitarian field. The “One health” approach integrates human, animal and ecosystem health into...
“Do Less, Do More”, or the incompatible expectations of the humanitarian response: reducing carbon and scaling up
Humanitarian organisations are faced with a dilemma: they have to intensify their interventions to meet growing needs but have to drastically reduce their carbon footprint at the same time. This...
Climate-humanitarian crisis in the Russia-Ukraine war: double vulnerabilities overlooked by the humanitarian response
In Ukraine, the direct dangers of the conflict are compounded by major environmental damage that is compromising agriculture and ecosystems. According to the authors, despite the scale of international mobilisation,...
Climate change: humanitarian aid at a crossroads
Published on 6 December 2024 So what does a world at +2°C mean for international aid and development? With this question in mind, Groupe URD, in partnership with Humanitarian Alternatives,...
Why India (perhaps) does not need humanitarian food aid
Following on from Ashwini Kakkar, Frédéric Landy takes a closer look at the Indian food paradox. He does so while reflecting on the Indian government’s hostility towards the intervention of...
Humanitarian aid hit by Covid-19
The entire world has, to say the least, been “gripped” by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the “little” humanitarian world has not escaped. It was undoubtedly less surprised by this explosion,...
Anticipating uncertainty, preparing for the unknown: humanitarian actors in the face of issues linked to climate change
This first article provides an overview of the issues facing humanitarian workers and points out the ambiguities that persist. Insufficient and non-binding normative frameworks do not prevent actors who, themselves,...
Understanding the history, dynamics and workings of epidemics
Where do epidemics come from, how do they spread, and how do they behave? To answer these questions, and to introduce this issue’s theme, it was first deemed necessary to...
What does the future have in store for humanitarian aid logistics?
Often neglected, or at least “accessorized”, logistics is nevertheless essential to the success of humanitarian missions. Not to mention that it represents 60 to 80% of their costs. Based on...