Panel sessions
The EHF 2024 panel sessions will consist of moderated discussions among the wider humanitarian- development community, including EU institutions, EU Member States, third countries, partner organisations, local humanitarian actors, UN agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent family and academics.
Humanitarian Talks
Humanitarian Talks provide a space for discussion running in parallel with the EHF panels and an opportunity for focused exchange on concrete deliverables as well as on more specific humanitarian issues and crises that will not be addressed in the EHF24 panel sessions.
Humanitarian Talks complement the EHF programme with hands-on discussions, which reinforce the
“concrete delivery” aspect of the Forum. Proposed and led by partners and Member States, they offer an
alternative platform for humanitarian stakeholders to contribute and thematically complement the core
agenda of the event.
The Talks will showcase initiatives and discussions driven by partners, Member States and practitioners.
Recorded Humanitarian Talk, Organised by : Plan International
18 March
The opening ceremony of the European Humanitarian Forum aims to shed a light on the leadership and the contribution of the EU and its member states to humanitarian action.
The high-level session aims to highlight the many access challenges that humanitarian actors operating in the Gaza Strip are facing.
The discussion will focus on how key humanitarian organisations and donors are making efforts to overcome the obstacles posed by the highly restricted humanitarian space.
The session will be moderated by Anya Sitaram.
The humanitarian community has long identified the private sector as a potential source of new funding and a means to address the funding gap. The past seven years have seen a number of pilot initiatives seeking to incentivise private finance to invest in fragile contexts and help address humanitarian needs. Results have been promising but questions still remain regarding scale-up, collaboration of actors across the Nexus and systematic engagement of private finance. This panel solicits the views of the actors at the centre of this challenge – private financiers and businesses who are the target of investment. It aims to collectively source recommendations for transitioning from pilots to a model for private investment in fragile contexts, linking particularly to the new priority on innovative finance under the Grand Bargain.
The session will be moderated by Michael Koehler.
Geo examples: Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, India
This session aims to reignite global attention on the protracted Rohingya crisis, with special emphasis on the scarcity of humanitarian funding. It links discussions with outcomes from the 2023 Global Refugee Forum and explores advocacy strategies for policy shifts in host countries. Focused on Myanmar as the root cause of the crisis, as well as Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, the session discusses sustainable solutions, alternative approaches to detention centres and policy alternatives to deportation. Key questions include addressing the Rohingya crisis amidst other global crises, integrating development funding and triggering policy shifts through robust advocacy.
The session will be moderated by Ali Al-Jaberi.
This HT puts the impact on civilians from different explosive weapons at the core of crisis response. It will explore two overlapping topics: use of explosive weapons in populated areas and the long-term impact Explosive Ordnance have on crises-affected communities. Explosive weapons kill and injure tens of thousands of civilians each year. Civilians suffer complex and life changing injuries and long-term psychological distress, whilst the use of explosive weapons in populated areas can also destroy critical infrastructure. This severely impacts the provision of essential services. Recognising this problem internationally, The Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas was developed and places restrictions on use of explosive weapons. It was endorsed by 83 states in November 2022. Similarly, landmines and cluster munitions can remain active for years and decades after they were laid or dropped, whether in rural or urban areas. Though prohibited by two UN Conventions, clearance remains a top priority. Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) is therefore an indispensable, lifesaving component of crisis response and a pre-condition to provide access for critical humanitarian interventions. However, international attention and funding for this lifesaving work are reducing, especially for interventions needed in forgotten crises and fragile contexts globally. Drawing on different perspectives from both civilians and humanitarian teams in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, where HMA is taking place and where explosive weapons are being used, this HT aims to facilitate an open and interactive discussion amongst stakeholders.
Session organised by:
- The HALO Trust
- Ireland
- Norway
- Belgium
- Norwegian People's Aid
- International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW,coordinated by Article36)
- Danish Refugee Council •Humanity & Inclusion
The more than 224 million children living in humanitarian crises have the inherent right to access quality education. Entreculturas Foundation, Fe y Alegría, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and the Spanish Cooperation and Development Agency recognize the importance of bringing back the focus to Education in Emergencies (EiE), particularly in Latin America.
Through the presentation of our experiences in Colombia and Venezuela, we aim to discuss the responsibilities of the donor community and international actors in promoting the right to quality education. Additionally, we urge the protection of funding efforts in the education field and emphasize the need for special attention to be given to protracted crises in Latin America.
EiE not only ensures the safety of children and young adults but also serves as a transformative tool for personal growth and global change. To effectively implement interventions, it is essential for organizations to have sufficient budgets and timeframes that allow them to learn from past experiences and conduct thorough assessments. Gender perspectives must also be taken into account in EiE actions, and efforts should be made to reach vulnerable individuals irrespective of their status.
To uphold and guarantee the right to education, as outlined in Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law, in the midst of the current complex, protracted and forgotten crisis, it is imperative for states and the donor community to grasp the significant role of EiE within the nexus and triple nexus approach. Furthermore, specific measures need to be taken to bridge the existing funding gap in this sector.
Session organised by:
- Entreculturas Foundation
It has been widely accepted that that the involvement of development actors is essential to scale up anticipatory action, as stated also in the ‘Getting Ahead of Disasters: A Charter on Finance for Managing Risks’ that was endorsed by 39 countries and organisations at COP28. However, the Anticipatory Action discourse has stayed mostly within the humanitarian realm, and there is so far little clarity on what role could development actors play. This session will seek to open the dialogue and identify what role each of these actors can play and how coordination can be ensured across the nexus.
The session will be moderated by Emma Flaherty.
Geo example: Central and Latin America
This session provides an opportunity to showcase how violence related to organised crime often triggers substantial humanitarian needs and poses serious limitations to both access and security. This can generate higher and more severe humanitarian consequences than in many other conflicts. Humanitarian partners are experiencing difficulties operating within crime-affected environments and responding to the consequences of this violence, especially across Central and Latin America. Of the more than 21 million people forcibly displaced in Latin American countries, many are fleeing from criminal violence.
The session will be moderated by Andrea Koulaimah.
This session will review the major disparities between financing for different crises and the current barriers to flexible funding and allocating funding on the basis of need.
The session will demonstrate how donors can leverage their respective strengths and collective weight in the process of optimizing the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian aid through quality funding/flexible funding. Drawing on the experience of different donors, independent analysis and the experience of the UN and aid agencies in administering emergency funds, it will ask whether current approaches are fit for purpose in terms of allocating on the basis of need, what learning can be derived from flexible funding mechanisms, and what is needed to scale this up further.
The session will be moderated by Sorcha O'Callaghan.
The talk intends to highlight the forgotten humanitarian crisis in the Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina states of Northwest Nigeria.
This region faces an array of challenges including complex socio-economic factors and escalating cycle of violence. Characterized by historical marginalization, poverty, and underdevelopment, the region struggles with structural issues that have perpetuated gaps in access to basic services, education, and employment opportunities. Simultaneously, ongoing violence involving armed groups and criminal elements has worsened the region's vulnerabilities and given rise to acute humanitarian needs as the region faces large scale displacement, a nutritional crisis, and disease outbreaks (meningitis and cholera).
Despite this dire situation, there has been a reticence to acknowledging those needs and to defining this as a humanitarian crisis, despite indicators comparable to Northeast Nigeria where there is a coordinated humanitarian response. This has in turn limited the capacity of humanitarian actors to respond to those needs that if unmet, risk expanding and spiralling the region into further instability.
This talk will provide various perspectives from local NGOs, INGOs active on the field, a Nigerian academic and the Nigerian authorities with an aim to:
• Shed light on the impact of violence and contextual vulnerabilities (climate change, regional crisis, etc.) on civilian access to basic services and livelihood opportunities in Northwest Nigeria.
• Identify with the relevant stakeholders’ key actions to better address this type of forgotten crisis, including in terms of approaches and coordination.
Session organised by:
- Danish Refugee Council (Lead)
- Nigeria INGO Forum (Lead)
- Action Contre la Faim (ACF)(Co-lead)
- Solidarités International (Co-lead)
This Humanitarian Talk will highlight the importance of local and national actors in the humanitarian response to forgotten crises and in fragile contexts. It will look at experiences and lessons learnt from actors on the ground before, during and after crises, and will address the challenges locally led and owned humanitarian action faces within our humanitarian system.
Linking to past discussions at the EHF 2023, locally-led and owned humanitarian action is key in overcoming existing efficiency deficits of the humanitarian system which lead to a major funding gap. This system still fails to tailor aid to local needs and expertise.
Based on local expertise, our session will propose practical models as implemented in the field on how to foster a locally led and effective response, owned by affected communities. These models will serve as practical recommendations on how international actors can effectively and efficiently remove barriers and support these initiatives, addressing areas such as, locally led anticipatory action, innovative funding mechanisms, the building of local and national networks and ecosystems, and different models of localization.
Session organised by:
- ADRA
- Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe
- Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe
Geo example: Central Sahel
In Central Sahel, humanitarian needs continue to increase at a staggering pace. Burkina Faso has seen the number of forcibly displaced people increase by close to 600% compared to three years ago (April 2020 – March 2023). In Mali, two out of five individuals are in need of humanitarian assistance. In Niger, since 26 July, disruptions in humanitarian supplies are impacting the nutritional and food security response.
This panel will therefore explore ways to reverse the trend of growing needs and reduced space for the delivery of humanitarian aid in Central Sahel, looking at the aftermath of the coup in Niger. It will also touch on the broader conflict dynamics and measures taken by the transition authorities in all Central Sahel countries.
The session will be moderated by Heidy Rombouts.
Children are disproportionally affected by the immediate and longer-term consequences of humanitarian crises and emergencies. Many spend their entire childhoods in situation of conflict and insecurity. They witness or experience violent acts and are at risk of abuse, neglect, violence, early marriage and pregnancy, exploitation, trafficking or military recruitment. They are deprived of access to basic social services, health care, education, and parental care, which undermine their right to development, and opportunities to reach their full potential.
But children are also incredibly resilient. When offered protection, opportunity to learn and develop their skills, they can find ways to cope, drawing strength from their families and communities.
Children should be at the centre of humanitarian preparedness and response. This panel will discuss the commitment to prioritise children, their rights, needs and protection in situation of armed conflicts and forgotten protracted crises. It will also call for collective actions that go across sectors and address needs holistically, ensuring coordination between humanitarian, development and peace instruments.
The session will be moderated by Hanna Jahns.
Geo example: Ukraine
In Ukraine, the healthcare system is constantly under attack, particularly in frontline areas. Since February 2022, 1,468 medical facilities in Ukraine and another 193 facilities have been completely destroyed, according to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The significant government budget and international support keeps the health system relatively functional and resilient, but for how long? Demand for healthcare and rehabilitation is constantly increasing, infrastructure is damaged, healthcare workers are overstretched and prices for medicine keep rising. This panel aims to define the best strategies and modalities to effectively support the Ukrainian health system and ensure access to quality healthcare for all.
The session will be moderated by Anya Sitaram.
Fundamental commitments towards addressing the consequences of climate change have been made by the aid community. Over 375 organizations have signed the Climate Charter while most European governments signed the Humanitarian Aid Donors’ Declaration on Climate and Environment issued in March 2022 at the European Humanitarian Forum. As one of the biggest humanitarian agencies and a signer of the Climate Charter, UNHCR is leading by example. Through flagship initiatives like the Green Financing Facility (GFF), an innovative public-private partnership to support UNHCR’s offices transition to renewable energy, utilizing guarantee and revolving funds mechanisms. UNHCR aims to reduce its carbon emissions in operations transitioning to solar power by 80% and financial operating costs by 20%. To support the operationalization of climate commitments, including towards reducing the environmental and climate impact of humanitarian operations, Climate Action Accelerator has developed pilot programs with over 25 organisations, using knowledge, and lessons learnt to further empower more organisations and actors within the humanitarian sector. To amplify change and create a “domino effect” towards accelerating the climate transformation in the humanitarian sector, Climate Action Accelerator (CAA) has produced a sectoral roadmap guiding effective emissions reduction in the humanitarian sector. In addition to laying priority pathways and levers for effective emissions reduction in humanitarian action, this roadmap identifies ways to unlock financial blockages to change and enable organizations to access sufficient adequate funding for key climate solutions. EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS (ECHO) General Affairs International and Interinstitutional Relations, Legal Framework This session will provide preliminary findings from CAA’s “Roadmap” and a public-private dialogue on financing challenges and opportunities by sharing lessons from UNHCR’s GFF flagship initiative.
Session organised by:
- Climate Action Accelerator
- UNHCR
The Yemen migration route (predominantly from the Eastern Horn of Africa) is considered one of the most perilous in the world and yet continues to receive disproportionally low attention, interest and funding. The session will explore the situation of migrants in Yemen, their specific vulnerabilities, access to services, and why and how they have been integrated into the humanitarian response, and the regional implications of these dynamics. Migrants are one of the most vulnerable groups in Yemen. They face acute protection risks and struggle to access lifesaving assistance and basic services. Migrants continue to have restricted access to humanitarian assistance on the ground and remain low on the list of priorities, despite their level of vulnerability, in a context that continues to be highly volatile, in the midst of a less violent but ongoing conflict, and insufficient resources to meet the needs of the populations, which over eight years of conflict continue to be immense.
IOM, DRC Yemen and INTERSOS are organising a highly interactive panel to explore and discuss the situation of vulnerable migrants in Yemen, how at risk-migrants have been successfully supported through humanitarian coordination and response, and the challenges, successes and lessons learned when responding to this vulnerable and politicised group, in the context of conflict, while also operating in two different political/governance systems in Yemen, and complex regional dynamics.
Session organised by:
- IOM Yemen
- INTERSOS Yemen
- DRC Yemen
Geo example: Democratic Republic of Congo
Deeply rooted conflict over natural resources as well as ongoing hostilities between armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have led to the internal displacement of millions of people forced to seek shelter in makeshift camps or with host communities. Insecurity, coupled with displacement, inadequate living conditions and lack of livelihoods opportunities have led to shocking rates of sexual violence and negative coping strategies such as survival sex. The scale of the problem is alarming, children are also among the victims.
The panellists, with global and local perspectives, will discuss the causes of growing rates of sexual violence in eastern DRC and present recommendations on how to urgently tackle the issue in a collective and integrated approach.
The session is moderated by Ikenna Azuike.
Year: 2023
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Follows a family of Syrian refugees, an English teacher from Afghanistan and a border guard. They all meet on the Polish-Belarusian border during the most recent humanitarian crisis in Belarus.
The screening of the movie will be prefaced by a brief introduction to the film, followed by an opportunity for the audience to engage in a Q&A session.
The session will be moderated by Gabriela Baczynska.
19 March
From procurement to distribution, the supply chain is the backbone of every humanitarian operation and represents 60-80% of all humanitarian spending, of which 75% is spent on procurement. Nevetheless, the supply chain does not receive commensurate strategic consideration and is often left until late in the design (and often even implementation) phase of humanitarian projects. As such, this session aims to underline the importance of a strategic approach to the supply chain, which has become critical in terms of greening, localization and digitization.
The session is moderated by Cecile Terraz.
This participative panel discussion with live interventions from the floor will allow participants to reflect and share their experiences, concerns and recommendations on the participation of local responders in designing humanitarian response. In particular, the panel will provide an opportunity for local and national actors, including organisations representing marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities, women and refugees, to share their views and make recommendations to the international aid community on practical ways and tools to increase the participation of local actors in the design of humanitarian programmes.
The session is moderated by Jamie Munn.
Humanitarian exemptions enable the legitimate delivery of humanitarian assistance while ensuring the effective implementation of restrictive measures.
UNSCR 2664 (2022) introduced a standing humanitarian exemption from asset freeze measures in UN sanctions regimes and represented a milestone in this discussion. The EU has already transposed humanitarian exemptions in line with UNSCR 2664 into several regimes.
This session aims to assess the progress made, scrutinise upcoming challenges, and explore ways to enhance implementation. What steps should be taken next, and how can we actively promote successful implementation?
The session is moderated by Kathryn Striffolino.
The number of people suffering from severe food insecurity worldwide is increasing through the combined impacts of climate, conflict, global increase of costs, and demographic growth. The international community currently responds to structural food insecurity and cyclical surges in needs with costly, short-term packages, weighing heavily on humanitarian donors. This event will bring together key stakeholders linking humanitarian assistance with resilience-building interventions and social protection, exploring opportunities to leverage existing national programmes to deliver aid more efficiently, whilst also adapting and designing them to be responsive to current and future shocks. The session will showcase promising examples from current models in fragile settings, highlighting the need to transition from costly, short-term emergency responses, to more sustainable, government-led assistance delivery models in protracted fragile, and conflict-affected settings. The models presented include the experience of transitioning from humanitarian cash to building shock responsive social protection systems in Somalia, and an approach proposed in the Sahel aiming to pool resources across the humanitarian-development nexus, increase communities’ resilience, and reduce humanitarian needs over time by tackling structural drivers of food insecurity. The models will highlight an emerging consensus among key governmental and international stakeholders to move beyond the traditional, reactive response to predictable shocks, such as those falling within lean seasons.
Session organised by:
- WFP
- FAO
- Global Network Against Food Crises
“We do not need food. We need security” - this was the message a young Iraqi girl wore on a sign tied around her neck in the midst of the Iraq war in 1991. She has grown since then, but the need remains. Protection is the most pressing need of people caught in conflict. The absence of safety and security not only has a direct and devasting impact on people’s life, but it is also one of the main obstacles to humanitarian access.
Assistance-focused activities, representing the bulk of humanitarian aid, do not bring an adequate response. Remedial activities do answer the crucial question: “How would you feel more protected?”.
There is a collective recognition amongst humanitarian actors that as violent conflict is on the rise and parties involved fail to adequately protect civilians, there is a need to do more to prevent and mitigate violence and improve safety and security of civilians. However, there are currently several challenges. Those partly come from the lack of a precise definition and the vagueness of the current framework, but also include increasing risk-aversion, focus on remedial action, limited use of innovative interventions, and the lack of coordination with protection actors beyond the humanitarian sphere.
This panel will present pro-active protection methods with a concrete impact on the safety and security of the affected population. They include protection by presence, humanitarian mediation, civil-military coordination, interposition, and civilian self-protection mechanisms.
Key questions to be addressed:
- How can humanitarian organisations contribute to protection, safety, security of civilians?
- What are the concrete actions, methods, and interventions that have proven efficient?
- What are the challenges to scale up such interventions?
How can donors, academics and humanitarian organisations overcome those challenges?
Session organised by:
- Norway
- Belgium
On 22 May 2023, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted Council Conclusions on addressing the humanitarian funding gap with specific commitments on resource mobilisation, improvement and needs reduction. In particular, the Council encouraged EU Member States to continue efforts to close the humanitarian funding gap by contributing at a level commensurate with their financial means and ensuring that an appropriate share of their Official Development Assistance, for example 10%, is devoted to humanitarian action on the basis of existing humanitarian needs. This panel will take stock of these commitments and identify future steps.
The session is moderated by Marta Valdés García.
The media – both traditional and “new” – acts as a searchlight, focusing on particular areas of the world and thus directing the attention of policymakers and the public. This often results in action, albeit short-lived. At the same time, numerous other protracted crises unfold across the world away from media attention. Lack of attention results in a lack of resources. Exploring why particular crises are “forgotten” may help draw attention towards them. This panel discussion therefore aims to identify some of the causes of a lack of media attention and to explore ways to remedy it and to ensure adequate coverage of protracted crises around the world.
The session is moderated by Anouk Delafortrie.
Geo example: Iraq
This session will focus on comprehensive responses to deliver basic services in complex emergencies and protracted crises by collaborating among humanitarian, development and peace actors. It highlights the critical funding gap as well as the importance of prioritising principled humanitarian aid for severe crises and vulnerable populations. The discussions will draw lessons from country cases in Iraq and another example.
The session is moderated by Ali Al-Jaberi.
New technologies represent an opportunity for humanitarian action, enabling new services and forms of assistance that bring about more efficiency, accountability and proximity. However, the increasing digitalization of humanitarian responses also brings significant risks in fragile contexts – for populations affected by conflict and other crises, and for principled humanitarian action.
Despite progress in terms of awareness, policy tools and commitments, significant gaps in the operational reality and practices of humanitarian organisations remain – with negative knock-on effects for affected populations, perception, trust and acceptance of humanitarian actors.
The discussion will focus on identifying neglected risks, remaining gaps, and concrete mechanisms and organizational solutions to ensure that humanitarian organizations turn their promise of “responsible tech” into a reality.
Session organised by:
- ICRC
- UNDRR
- UNHCR
- Czechia
Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise globally and conflict remains one of the primary drivers. Violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), including damage and destruction of food production and distribution infrastructure and unlawful denial of humanitarian access by conflict parties, armed groups and de facto authorities (AGDAs), contribute to food insecurity. Despite the existing protective international legal framework, including UN Security Council Resolution 2417, studies show that conflict parties’ policies and practices continue to drive food insecurity. These range from attacks on food supplies and food production systems, the obstruction of humanitarian relief, to indirect acts such as taxation, and expropriation of trade. These actions lead to and exacerbate hunger amongst civilians, especially women and girls, including through conflict-induced displacement and disruption of livelihoods. This talk will highlight context-specific examples of conflict-induced hunger, as well as perspectives and reflections from organisations working to improve IHL compliance, challenges to doing so, and successful initiatives to overcome them, including through the political and diplomatic engagement from the EU MS and the EU institutions’ representatives.
Session organised by:
- Diakonia IHL Center
- Geneva Call
- Oxfam Belgium
- Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- Insecurity Insight
- Nigeria INGO Forum
Humanitarians are caught up in increasingly complex interventions. As the average time span of conflicts lengthens, the range of their interventions has broadened. At the same time, climate change brings additional pressure on the already fragile system. Can the current system sustain more needs, whilst the necessary funding falls behind? What would this mean for the people in prolonged, and thus often forgotten, crises, who are in highest danger of being neglected?
Humanitarians cannot face this challenge alone, let alone be the sole solution. Reflection is needed if the current system has the necessary flexibility and resilience to mitigate the risks in the world of tomorrow. It is necessary to keep in mind that not only has the nature of needs changed, but so has the world around humanitarians. Are initiatives such as the Grand Bargain and OCHA’s new Flagship Initiative enough, or are they mere band aids for a largely outdated and imbalanced system?
In an interactive live podcast, humanitarian actors will reflect on what is needed to make the humanitarian response future-proof. They will entertain a thought-provoking debate on how the world would like if humanitarians failed, and what is needed to prevent this.
The session is moderated by Ebele Okobi.
Geo example: Yemen
Humanitarian workers put their lives on the line to help those most in need. Yet, many of them continue to face alarming levels of violence, as well as ongoing challenges to security, safety and access. While the humanitarian community and donors have increased protection of aid workers, more still needs to be done. The panel reflects on the state of play of the security of aid workers, including local actors, featuring the example of Yemen. It will present initiatives and tools addressing prevention, advocacy on IHL and principled aid, and response. It aims to promote dialogue on how donors can strengthen the safety and security of aid workers in armed conflicts.
The session is moderated by Christina Wille.
Geo examples: Afghanistan and Somalia
In July 2023, the World Food Programme carried out cuts on food, cash and nutrition assistance programmes in almost half of its operations due to lack of funding. The same applies to many other humanitarian actors tackling food crises despite the record levels of acutely food insecure populations.
This panel discussion sheds light on the consequences for affected communities by turning the spotlight on two of the major global food crises, Afghanistan and Somalia. It provides an opportunity to highlight the trade-offs faced by humanitarian actors when funding is scarce and to discuss how funding shortages can boost the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of humanitarian food assistance.
The session is moderated by Rein Paulsen.
During humanitarian crises, persons with disabilities and other specific groups are not benefiting from relief efforts equally. Among others, the environmental, institutional, and attitudinal barriers prevent them from participating and accessing humanitarian assistance. It is therefore essential to raise awareness, develop professional capacities, and enhance response capacities for inclusive humanitarian programming and coordination both on local and global level.
This panel would focus on how neglected, forgotten, and underfinanced crises’ contexts require both more specific targeting of those households most at risk, as well as addressing underlying risk factors and/or mitigating them. Through looking at a protracted, underfinanced crisis such as South Sudan, we will discuss how reduced or redirected funding often leads to reduced effort to reach those at heightened risk, as well as how redirected funding or targeting areas affect services and how this impacts marginalised groups. It will also look at how financing for capacity development or technical support around the operationalization of the IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action is constrained, as well as how this impacts or slows localisation.
As well, the panel will discuss what opportunities exist to strengthen the capacity of local actors and persons with disabilities to be empowered actors for change. The panel will take an intersectional lens, looking at women, girls, men and boys of all age groups, as well as other groups at risk of marginalization.
This panel will be moderated by HI and EDF and include speakers from World Food Programme; University of Bochum, Institute for Peace, Law of armed conflict; Diakonia, International Humanitarian Law Center; the South Sudan Association of the Visually Impaired and OCHA South Sudan .
Session organised by:
- Handicap International/Humanity & Inclusion (Federation Handicap International)
Chad, situated at the heart of Africa, faces a critical juncture in its history.
The country hosts more than 1.1 million forcibly displaced people, including more than 380,000 IDPs and more than 700,000 refugees mainly from Sudan, Central African Republic, and Cameroon. In the midst of its own economic, political, and security challenges, Chad has continued to allow access to asylum for those fleeing neighboring countries.
Despite its strategic location, the country is often overlooked in discussions of global humanitarian crises. This panel discussion aims to shed light on the multifaceted challenges confronting Chad, focusing on its severe humanitarian funding gap, the forgotten crisis it endures, and the delicate environmental conditions exacerbating its struggles.
By convening this panel discussion, we aim to catalyse a renewed focus on Chad. Only if these challenges are addressed together and holistic approach, by humanitarian and development actors, we can forge a path towards sustainable development and stability, ensuring a brighter future for Chad and its people. Otherwise, we will be facing another failure which will have severe impact for the whole region and beyond.
Session organised by:
- UNHCR (Lead)
- UNDP
- World Bank
- Switzerland
- Government of Chad
This panel addresses the current state of global IHL compliance and discusses the use of principled humanitarian diplomacy that is both evidence-based and impartial. Moreover, it will draw attention to the need for credible and impartial evidence on IHL compliance in conflict areas worldwide, the role of duty bearers, the international community and local actors in using such information for advocacy on the protection of civilians, and the importance for impacted communities to shape the narrative on their protection. To this end, the panel will launch and showcase initiatives that support the monitoring and analysis of violations of IHL and promote humanitarian advocacy on the protection of civilians.
The session is moderated by Vaios Koutroulis.
The objective of this session is to discuss the steady growth of the tools developed by the EU, its Member States and Participating States to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), to respond to emergencies; and their complementary use to the EU humanitarian funding, to fill funding and operational gaps.
The session will explore which tools exist today, how they are being developed and deployed, how they reinforce a “Team Europe” approach to emergency response and what fundamental questions arise from their use in terms of respect of humanitarian principles.
The intention is to create a window of discussion and explore ways to further develop cooperative approaches between the Commission, Member States, Participating States and humanitarian partners in the delivery of concrete, pre-identified and complementary capabilities.
The session will examine concrete crises such as Gaza, Türkiye/ Syria, Sudan/Chad, Ukraine where different EU and MS emergency response tools have been used concomitantly such as the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and the European Humanitarian Response Capacity (EHRC).
The session is moderated by Hans Das.
Climate change is an existential challenge for all of humanity, but its effects are felt most acutely in countries and regions already impacted by conflict and fragility. At the same time, climate action and climate finance are insufficiently reaching fragile and conflict-affected countries.
This session will lay out what the main barriers are to accessing climate finance for the most climate-vulnerable countries and communities, focusing on those affected by violence and conflict. It will build upon past discussions, delving deeper into the issues and discuss ways to concretely overcome them, with representatives from development actors, the private sector and non-government organisations.
The session is moderated by Catherine-Lune Grayson.
Children in humanitarian settings are most vulnerable to the impacts of the hunger and malnutrition crisis. This event, led by the International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Hungry for Action Campaign and the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, will discuss high impact, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to ensure no child is left behind. With nine countries at risk of famine by the end of this year – scaled and coordinated action is urgently needed to save lives, build resilience and secure the future. It will bring the perspective of affected countries (South Sudan), who are leading the calls for change, together with EU member states and implementing partners to outline tangible next steps to advance this goal.
Session organized by:
- International Rescue Committee
- Hungry for Action
- Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN)
Leaving no one behind, ending needs by reducing risks and vulnerabilities, achieving sustainable development and peace are shared commitments of the international community. This requires ‘joined-up’ action for collective outcomes by humanitarian, development, and peace (HDP) actors and focuses on maximizing gains and ending humanitarian needs as articulated in the 2030 Agenda.
This interactive Humanitarian Talk will showcase examples of innovative partnerships that are imperative to reach sustainable and resilient WASH outcomes, such as the WASH Insecurity Analysis and the evidence-based Joint Operational Framework to strengthen collaboration among HDP actors. It will spotlight the central role that coordination plays in reducing the impact of crises and promote learning from complimentary approaches, and key initiatives taken by HDP actors. The session will capitalize on thought leadership to achieve equitable and inclusive impact through the interventions of high-level speakers and voices from the field.
Session organised by :
- German WASH Network
- Global WASH Cluster
The closing ceremony will be a meaningful way to conclude the two days of discussions at the Forum and wrap-up the event. This session will also include the awards ceremony of the European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation (InnovAid), during which the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič will reveal the winners of its first edition.