The New Humanitarian
The New Humanitarian brings you an inside look at the conflicts and natural disasters that leave millions of people in need each year, and the policies and people who respond to them. Join TNH's journalists in the aid policy hub of Geneva and in global hotspots to unpack the stories that are disrupting and shaping lives around the world.
Episodes
Somalia's plan to break free from aid dependence | Rethinking Humanitarianism
For Abdihakim Ainte, a senior Somali government official, the international humanitarian system's sudden contraction has been both a "cataclysmic" shock – with devastating immediate consequences – and a reckoning that could ultimately accelerate Somalia's path towards greater self-reliance. Last week's episode explored how shifting power, money, and politics in traditional donor countries is resh
Will big donors "smell the coffee" or get left behind? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Less than a year ago, Colum Wilson left his position at the helm of the humanitarian department in one of the world's largest donor governments. After more than two decades with the UK government, Wilson concludes that "the world's become a colder and crueller place where realpolitik tends to trump humanitarianism". In this second collaborative episode between Rethinking Humanitarianism and Start
Error and trial: What really makes the humanitarian system change? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Humanitarianism evolves, whether the system is ready or not. This six-episode series explores how. Ben Ramalingam has spent 20 years thinking and writing about the complexity of the humanitarian system and what makes it shift. His conclusion? It changes the wrong way around. "We've tended to evolve not through trial and error, but through error and trial. So we respond to what goes wrong, we absor
Lessons on media ethics from the Middle East | Decolonise How?
What are we getting right, what are we getting wrong, and how could we do better? A recent live webinar hosted by Patrick Gathara, with historian Assal Rad and media critic Sana Saeed, digs into the framing of the genocide and wars in the Middle East with the goal of drawing lessons that could be applicable to a wide range of crises. Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that ex
How to change reporting | Decolonise How?
We've diagnosed the problem. What comes next? On the podcast: what it takes to change how crises are spoken about in newsrooms and aid organisations. Researcher Jess Crombie and journalist Chika Oduah encourage "uncomfortable conversations" to confront colonial legacies. "Really, what we're talking about is about acknowledging power and making efforts to undermine existing power structures," Crom
Event | Who owns the narrative?
Across newsrooms, stages, screens, and funding tables, there's a growing movement to reshape how migration and displacement are understood. So what does it look like when the people at the heart of these crises tell their own stories, and could it influence the systems that shape their lives? The New Humanitarian hosted a night of film and conversation with journalists, artists, and cultural funde
Crisis comms: donations vs. dignity | Decolonise How?
NGO ads don't have to be a balance between dignity and donations. A look at the ethics and power dynamics of crisis communications, and how humanitarian agencies can do better for the communities they serve, with Levis Nderitu, a Kenyan DEI specialist, and Marie-Rose Romain Murphy, a Haitian-American community development expert. "At the core of your communication should be people, should be dign
Event | Humanitarianism in the West Bank
Humanitarianism in the West Bank: Structures, Power, and the Limits of Aid ___ What does it mean to "do no harm" in a context where aid can both alleviate suffering and entrench the very systems that produce it? In this critical conversation on the state of humanitarianism in the West Bank today, we examine what it means for humanitarian actors to operate within a broader landscape o
Decolonising the newsroom | Decolonise How?
The first African to lead the BBC's African service, Joseph Warungu, and The New Humanitarian's Head of Editorial, Andrew Gully, have over half a century's worth of experience working in and leading newsrooms. Why do both use the word "battle" to describe their efforts to produce decolonised journalism with local perspectives? Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines
Diaspora aid: the lifeline we don't talk about enough | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Every year, people in the diaspora send hundreds of billions of dollars home. It is one of the single most important streams of assistance, far outweighing all official foreign aid. So why does it get less attention when it outpaces aid flows? And can it – or should it – better complement international humanitarian response? Host Tammam Aloudat discusses the wide-reaching role of diaspora aid in G
Who gets to tell the story? | Decolonise How?
Does it really matter whether a journalist is a local or a foreigner? The distinction between "local" or "international" journalists raises questions about trust, credibility, and control in global news. In this episode of Decolonise How? Patrick Gathara sits down with The New Humanitarian's Ali Latifi and Ahmer Khan to discuss power dynamics in crisis reporting, and why it matters. Decolonise Ho
What it means for humanitarians to be political | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Saving lives is a choice, and that makes it hard for humanitarianism to be completely apolitical despite long-running debates about neutrality and impartiality. But what does being political look like? On this episode: Flotillas and White Helmets, the difference between speaking out as individual humanitarian actors or as a unified collective, moving beyond simply being in "solidarity with communi
Ethical principles vs institutional realities | Decolonise How?
In the latest Decolonise How? podcast, we ask whether ethical journalism is possible when individual ideals collide with institutional realities. "In school, we are taught: Don't be too close to the story, because then how do you maintain objectivity?" says Kenyan journalist Njoki Chege. "But on the ground, things are very different." Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that
Surviving war while delivering aid | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Like many local aid workers living through war, Hind Obeid is surviving a crisis while responding to it. Obeid works for an NGO that supports refugees in Lebanon, but since 2024 Israeli attacks have forced her to fulfill her obligations while experiencing multiple displacements, the fear of airstrikes, and the constant sound of drones. Obeid, who wrote about her experiences for The New Humanitar
Should there be foreign correspondents? | Decolonise How?
In this episode of Decolonise How?, host Patrick Gathara sits down with journalist Jane Ferguson to debate what role foreign correspondents should have in telling stories from crises, and why she now describes herself as a "recovering war reporter". "I had grown up with this sense of what a foreign correspondent was… but what I learned early on was that my impression was very self-absorbed," Ferg
An exit talk with UNRWA's Philippe Lazzarini | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Philippe Lazzarini has ended his term as head of UNRWA, the UN agency that provides essential services to Palestinians. In an exit interview, Lazzarini describes "the most brutal experience" of his career, his anger when atrocities are met with silence, and the "slippery slope" waiting for humanitarians in Gaza. Guest: Philippe Lazzarini, departing commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief
What is humanitarian journalism? | Decolonise How?
There's more than one way to cover crises, says Professor Martin Scott. In the second episode of Decolonise How?, host Patrick Gathara sits down with Scott, who studies media and global development, to discuss the ethics, practice, and impact of media coverage of crises. Scott popularised the term "humanitarian journalism". He explains what makes it different from mainstream journalism, and why th
Who owns the story? | Decolonise How?
"The first place that people are dehumanised is in stories." - Sophie Otiende The way we tell stories about humanitarian crises can distort the realities of the people living through them. From news coverage and research to aid donation appeals, there is a tendency to simplify, decontextualise, and even dehumanise – to portray locals as suffering and helpless, and the outsiders riding to their res
Tragedy? When humanitarian language becomes oppressive | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Is it problematic to call human suffering a "tragedy"? Even well-intentioned humanitarian language can harm, says Heidi Mogstad, senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway. She argues that the language humanitarians use can perpetuate systems of violence that cause crises. In this episode, Mogstad gives examples of counter-productive language, and discusses ways to improve.
Introducing a new podcast on crisis storytelling | Decolonise How?
Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises. Join host Patrick Gathara as he gathers journalists, humanitarians, researchers, and affected communities into the same conversation. They debate the crisis in crisis reporting – and talk about how things could be done differently.
The aid sector's techno-colonialism problem | Rethinking Humanitarianism
AI and new tech in crises: When is technology a force for good, and when are we piling on the problems in humanitarian response? In this episode, experts unpack why technology is never neutral, the fallback on "techno-utopian" solutions, and the risk of "techno-colonialism" and why it matters. Guests: Mirca Madianou, professor in the School of Media, Communications and Cultural Studi
Burnout in the aid sector and how to respond | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Humanitarians have a "burnout culture", experts say. They work long hours in difficult environments. They're trying to help people in the worst moments of their lives. In the middle of today's funding crisis, they're also deciding who gets aid and who does not. In this episode, humanitarians and experts in mental health or wellbeing talk about what's driving high rates of burnout, how people c
What's happening in Iran? The wider context | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Protests have spread across Iran, and the fallout is rapidly evolving. In this episode, Hamid Dabashi, Iranian-American author and professor of Iranian studies and comparative literature at Columbia University, explains the wider historic context and evolution of these protests. He helps host Tammam Aloudat think through the nuance of opposing an abusive government while also rejecting imperiali
What we've learned so far: Key takeaways for 2026 | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The crisis of illiberalism. The global gender backlash. Aid blind spots. Gaza and the failure of international law. Our guests have taken on difficult topics, but they've also come up with ideas on how to move forward. In this episode: Key takeaways to navigate today's challenges, and the issues driving conversations in 2026. Guests: Anjali Dayal, assistant professor of international po
No one wants to depend on aid, including refugees | Power Shift (REPLAY)
The UN has a new refugee chief: Barham Salih is the former president of Iraq. He takes over as high commissioner for refugees in January 2026. Salih may be a surprise pick. The head of UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, has almost always been a European. Just as rare: The new refugee chief has actually been a refugee. But does a change at the top really address the power imbalances refugees face
International law is failing us. What now? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
When countries can commit genocide or invade neighbours with few repercussions, it's clear that international norms and laws are not working. On the podcast, three legal experts discuss the problems and some steps forward, from decentralised ways of enforcing criminal law, to including non-state actors, to erasing the legal loopholes used to justify violence. Guests: Neve Gordon, professor of i
Who wants to be the new UN refugee chief | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The UN's high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, finishes his term at the end of the year. As with most top UN roles, picking the next UN refugee chief is far from transparent. What's different this time around? Refugee-led organisations held rare public forums with some of the candidates. Co-organiser Hourie Tafech joins host Tammam Aloudat to talk about the race to lead the UN refugee ag
Security Council backs Trump's Gaza plan. What could go wrong? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution backing US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. It authorises an "international stabilisation force", and approves a "board of peace". Essentially, this would govern Gaza, and oversee reconstruction and humanitarian aid. It also follows a playbook similar to the occupation of Iraq, warns international law expert Shahd Hammouri: "The US using
Why emergency education saves lives | Rethinking Humanitarianism
When aid funding is tight, education is often cut first. But schools offer more than just learning, and communities say education is their priority. "We have to believe that survival means more than just breathing," says emergency education expert Faiza Hassan. On this episode: Why disrupted schooling is the norm as climate change worsens, and the argument for prioritising education in an era of a
What's behind the COP climate circus | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The UN climate summit, COP30, is getting under way in Brazil, with global temperatures rising – and global cooperation under deep strain. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the UN Secretary-General warns that the world has missed its targets to limit global temperature rise. The stakes are high. But do COP discussions match the urgency? The New Humanitarian journalists unpack what happens behi
How to make people care? Emergency aid's marketing problem | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Global polls show citizens in many countries want their governments to fund humanitarian aid. But the US and other nations have gutted aid departments or shrunk budgets – with little public pushback. Has the aid sector gotten too wonky to connect with the public? On the podcast: Emergency aid's marketing problem, and ideas to win the battle for attention. Guests: Sana Bég, executive director, Doc
The global backlash on gender rights | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The backlash against women's and LGBTIQI+ rights is growing – part of an organised movement that goes beyond one country or one president. But as Saskia Brechenmacher says on the latest episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism, concerned people – including civil society and non-governmental organisations – can take steps to counter the threats. Guests: Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow in the De
The aid sector's LGBTQI+ blindspot | Rethinking Humanitarianism
Global funding cuts are worsening emergency aid's weaknesses when it comes to the LGBTQI+ community. The Trump administration is explicitly targeting trans people. And gender-related programming is among the first to be cut as humanitarian groups scale back. But there are steps humanitarians can take today – even amid widespread budget cuts – to better respond to the needs of LGBTQI+ people in eme
UNGA Event | Dispatches from the future
Remaking humanitarianism: Dispatches from the future How can we reimagine the international humanitarian system so that it builds on – rather than undermines – the response communities are already creating? What would it take to align funding and infrastructure? And what is standing in the way? The New Humanitarian and Refugees International have taken these questions around the globe, producing a
Bonus: Rethinking UNGA | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The 80th UN General Assembly should be consequential given all that's happening: the genocide in Gaza, spiralling emergencies, aid cuts, the crisis of trust in the UN system. But does the rhetoric in New York match the urgency we see across the globe? From UNGA's high-level week in New York, producer Levi Sharpe and host Tammam Aloudat unpack events, contrast the Gaza flotilla with the suits at U
The UN's 20th-century diplomacy for 21st-century problems | Rethinking Humanitarianism
As world leaders gather for the 80th UN General Assembly, we're digging into the past to illuminate the present. What UN reforms are needed? Historian Thant Myint-U talks about how the UN became sidetracked from genuine multilateralism, where it should focus, and why the selection of the next secretary-general in 2026 is crucial. Guest: Thant Myint-U, historian and author of "Peacemaker: U Thant a
Event | What should humanitarian actors do to stop the genocide in Gaza?
As the genocide in Gaza continues, humanitarian organisations face mounting pressure and unprecedented constraints. Famine has been declared, access remains heavily restricted, and international mechanisms have failed to prevent mass civilian suffering. Frustration is growing across the sector – with some questioning whether traditional humanitarian approaches are fit for purpose in the face of at
The UN and the crisis of liberalism | Rethinking Humanitarianism
When is the UN a force for good, and when is it a fig leaf? CEO Tammam Aloudat speaks with Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal – hosts of the podcast To Save Us From Hell – about the global rise in illiberalism. They discuss the crisis of how liberalism is practiced, what it means for the future of humanitarianism, and what a better way forward might look like. Guests: Mark Leon Goldberg, editor-
An interview with UN relief chief Tom Fletcher | Rethinking Humanitarianism
"It's not just our finances that are under attack, but it's also our morale and our legitimacy." In a fresh season of the podcast, TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat, our new host, sits down with people who have something important to say about the future of aid. In this episode, he's joined by the UN's emergency aid chief, Tom Fletcher, to discuss the humanitarian reset, the need for more mental health suppo
Don't look away from Gaza | What's Unsaid
On 7 October 2023, Rita Baroud was a 20-year-old in Gaza thinking about doing a master's degree. Today, evacuated to France after surviving nearly 20 months of genocide, she's a journalist who recently met with Macron and told him, "You have to stop this bloodshed". In a special What's Unsaid episode, she speaks to Eric Reidy, our editor managing coverage of Gaza. They have been working together
What's missing is a relationship with the grassroots | Power Shift
Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ In the latest episode of Power Shift, Hafsar Tameesuddin, a stateless Rohingya refugee and LGBTQ+ rights activist, and Raouf Mazou, one of the UN refugee agency's highest-ranking officials, navi
Should we talk to the jihadists? | What's Unsaid
After a decade of fighting jihadist groups in the Sahel – and losing – isn't it time for governments to try dialogue? Speaking about her research project Negotiating with Islamist and jihadi armed groups: practices, discourses and mechanisms across Asia and Africa, Laura Berlingozzi tells What's Unsaid host Obi Anyadike she's detected a "timid openness" from the region's military juntas for dialog
No one wants to depend on aid, including refugees | Power Shift
Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ What happens when a stateless activist sits down with one of the UN refugee agency's highest-ranking officials? What if they had the chance to tell him what it's like to lose everything, to have
Is it time to declare a humanitarian crisis in the US? | What's Unsaid
Daylight abductions of permanent residents. Mass deportations with no due process. Homelessness at a record high. Outbreaks of previously eliminated childhood diseases. Sounds like a humanitarian crisis could be unfolding in the US. "When is the UN going to come in?" asks Carlos Menchaca, a legislator, activist, organiser, and former New York City council member. What's Unsaid is a podcast by The
Change is so incremental that it's not happening | Power Shift
Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ In the second episode of Power Shift, we continue our candid conversation between Grand Bargain ambassador Michael Köhler, formerly a senior leader of the EU's humanitarian aid arm, and Nadine S
Do we want to relinquish power, or not? | Power Shift
Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ Michael Köhler and Nadine Saba are just two of the many people tasked with advancing the goals of the Grand Bargain – one of the most ambitious attempts at delivering humanitarian aid more effec
Why reforming humanitarianism isn't enough | First Person
The Trump administration's aid freeze is a pivotal moment for the humanitarian sector. Veteran aid worker and TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat doesn't believe that simply restoring funding will fix a broken system. While imagining what remaking humanitarianism might look like, he makes a plea: "Let's start shifting the conversation." The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seeker
If not (US) aid, then what? | Event
The US aid freeze has exposed not only the fragility of humanitarian funding but also longstanding dependencies, vulnerabilities, and power dynamics that demand a broader reckoning. This event will explore the urgent need for structural change, seeking clarity and ideas amid the chaos. In what we hope will be one conversation of many, we reimagine the future of humanitarian aid in an era of mounti
Is Haiti better off without aid? | What's Unsaid
The fallout from the US aid funding freeze continues. In Haiti, one of USAID's largest recipients, could this actually be a moment for optimism? "My instinctive reaction was, maybe now we can take better care of ourselves," Haitian anthropologist and aid reform advocate, Isabelle Clérié tells What's Unsaid host, Obi Anyadike. What's Unsaid is a podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore o
Can dialogue truly shift power? | Power Shift
People affected by crises, and the people who respond to them, have been calling for change and equity for years, but for every reform pledge in Geneva or New York, there's little movement in Yangon or Juba. Changing an entire sector is a tall order. But how can an entire system change? In reality, it has to begin with conversations between people. For months, The New Humanitarian and the Cente
Introducing 'Power Shift': An experiment in dialogue
The term 'decolonising aid' is everywhere. And yet, many decisions about aid are made behind closed doors in the West, and those most affected by aid policies have little power in shaping them. But what if people who are rarely in the same room together sit down and talk? No talking points. No self-censorship. Just open, honest, and moderated one-on-one conversations. Introducing Power Shift: A ne
Who are the bad guys anyway? | What's Unsaid
Since the early days of the American west, World War Two, the Cold War, or the war on terror, conflict has been presented in the movies as having two sides: good guys and bad guys. Host Ali Latifi and Idrees Ahmad, a journalism, film, and culture professor, dig into why we brand groups and people in such binary terms – and ask what role Hollywood and the media play in ignoring the complexity of co
If not aid, then what? | Event
Can power truly shift in a sector whose origins are rooted in colonialism? If not, what lies beyond the international aid system as we know it? On the sidelines of UNGA 2024, The New Humanitarian, the Center for Transformational Change, and Refugees International convened a panel to examine the systemic limitations of the current global aid architecture, whether it can evolve for the better, and w
In conversation with new CEO Tammam Aloudat | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The New Humanitarian's new CEO, Tammam Aloudat, sits down with our Middle East Editor Annie Slemrod for a special episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism. In a wide-ranging and intimate conversation, Slemrod digs into Tammam's childhood in Damascus, his decades-long career as a humanitarian worker, and his expansive views on decolonising aid. If you want to know more about his vision for The New Hum
What will stop the fighting in Sudan? | What's Unsaid
Eighteen months of war have forced more than 10 million Sudanese from their homes, created the world's largest hunger crisis, and triggered terrible war crimes. It's a conflict in which regional and global powers are dabbling, arming both sides, intent on pursuing their own geopolitical interests. We ask Solomon Dersso, founding director of Amani Africa, what it will take for the fighting to end?
In crises, can life ever be normal? | What's Unsaid
Ever wondered what daily life in Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela have in common? In this episode, What's Unsaid host Ali Latifi, who lives in Kabul, speaks to Reporting Fellows Zeina Shahla in Damascus and Iván Reyes in Caracas to discuss dealing with conflict, threats of violence, and economic instability, while also buying groceries, having coffee with friends, and listening to music. It can m
The only thing saving us is us | First Person
"We constantly urge each other to remain tender toward one another". Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Nour ElAssy, a poet and writer, reflects on a year since Israel began a total war against the entirety of the Gaza Strip and its population. From Deir al-Balah, where she now lives with 27 other family members after fleeing her home on
Haitian 'gangs are at war with us' | First Person
When violent gangs moved into her neighbourhood in April, Haitian journalist and former UN official Monique Clesca left the Caribbean nation. She returned home a few months later, and in this episode, she describes what daily life is now like. "We are in more than a crisis situation", she says. "The gangs are at war with us". The ongoing turmoil in Haiti is featured in The New Humanitarian's annu
A Sudanese collective's care in Cairo | First Person
"We came mainly seeking safety, seeking to live a decent life. But then we found another war" Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. This episode tells a story of the 15,000 Sudanese people living in Egypt's Masaken Osman area. When the war broke out in April 2023, these tower blocks on the dusty outskirts of Cairo became home to a group of refugees. Meet the
In Syria, 'waiting for war' | First Person
Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Zeina Shahla, a reporting fellow with The New Humanitarian based in Damascus expresses what it is like to live in the shadow of war. With everyone in Syria living on edge since the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated last month in Tehran, Shahla worries if a regional war is going
In the Taliban's Islamic Emirate, 'everything seems fine, until it's not' | First Person
Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Ali Latifi, The New Humanitarian's Asia Editor and co-host of the What's Unsaid podcast, marks the anniversary of the creation of the Taliban's Islamic Emirate in his home country, Afghanistan. Three years on, the country is still in the throes of a humanitarian crisis, with 23.7 million people in need
'Everyone in Gaza is exhausted' | First Person
Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Mahmoud Shalabi describes the difficult reality of life in his home, Beit Lahia. When the Israeli military issued orders last October for 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate their homes in the north of Gaza, Shalabi refused to leave. "I believed that remaining in my home would be a form of resistance,"
Water 'stress' affects every aspect of life in Warawa, Nigeria | First Person
Our First Person narratives aim to dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Yusuf Sa'adu, a shopkeeper in Warawa in Nigeria's Kano state, points out that "whoever has abundant water has wealth". He shares how water scarcity made him lose out on education and still impacts personal relationships. "If you are experiencing water stress, you will not be able to do a lot of th
Peace in Gaza | What's Unsaid (REPLAY)
*This episode was originally published on November 9, 2023. Palestinian peace activist Nivine Sandouka discusses the difficult way forward for building trust between Israelis and Palestinians. Hosted by Irwin Loy. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.
A Syrian reminder: The ones you once saw suffering, still are | First Person
Iyad Agha, a Syrian now living in Germany, has been working on his country's humanitarian crisis for nearly a decade. The United Nations itself recently said that "Syria is in danger of being forgotten", while noting that the country is facing the highest levels of humanitarian need since the start of its 13-year war. Some 7.2 million people have been forcibly displaced inside the country, and ano
The preventable trauma of humanitarians | What's Unsaid (REPLAY)
*This episode was originally published on September 27, 2023. Aid worker and psychologist Imogen Wall tells host Ali Latifi that the way humanitarian organisations are run, can do as much damage to aid workers' mental health as being confronted with war, hunger, and rights abuses. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable truths
The stories humanitarians tell (and why they need to change) | Rethinking Humanitarianism
When crises hit, a host of questions arise, among them: Who needs humanitarian aid? How much? Who delivers it? And who has the power to make all of those decisions? How aid agencies and the media choose to frame this information doesn't always help. For the last year, researchers at ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) have been trying to understand narratives and the role they play in humanitari
Who can the Rohingya rely on? | What's Unsaid
Exiled from a country plagued by decades of civil war, allegations of genocide and ethnic cleansing, and limits on basic democratic rights, Maung Zarni, an academic, human rights activist, and Nobel Peace prize nominee, explains why the Rohingya cannot rely on protection from within the country. "I'm Burmese myself," he tells host Ali Latifi. "We have proven incapable of maintaining peace and stab
Faith as a way forward | What's Unsaid
Viewed from Western aid capitals, the international humanitarian system is overwhelmingly secular. But for much of the rest of the world, people's lived realities are very different. As Amjad Mohamed Saleem, a development and peacebuilding entrepreneur tells host Obi Anyadike, being a person of faith in the aid industry is a "dynamic struggle". What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Human
'Culture of solidarity': Why I'm hosting Congolese relatives who fled the M23 conflict | First Person
One and a half million people have been uprooted by the conflict between the M23 rebel group and the national army in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many are now living with host families, little-heralded frontline responders who play a central role in relief efforts across the region. Nicholas Bahati Ndoolé, a humanitarian worker based in the city of Goma, is one such host. In this Fir
An interview with the UN's humanitarian chief | Rethinking Humanitarianism (REPLAY)
*As Martin Griffiths serves his last month at the helm of OCHA, take another listen to this episode from January 26, 2022 on his vision for the future of humanitarian aid, and his hopes for a non-British successor. ____ In the final episode of Season 2 of the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast, host Heba Aly sits down with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths to dis
Does India know what's ahead? | What's Unsaid
India's incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of hate speech against Muslims during the election campaign. But Harsh Mander, a writer and peace worker, tells host Ali Latifi that Muslims are being mistreated and discriminated against at all levels of civil and political society. With results looming, he warns that Modi's India is starting to head in the direction of Nazi Germany.
Venezuelans Are So Tired of Living on the Edge | First Person
After 25 years as an international humanitarian worker, Susana Raffalli returned to Venezuela only to find herself at the centre of a humanitarian, political, and economic crisis in her own backyard. She describes the devastating impact that 10 years of crisis has had on Venezuelans and argues that the Latin American country has been largely neglected by the international aid sector. The ongoing t
Let refugees lead | What's Unsaid
Humanitarian organisations often push an image of refugees as passive victims in need of help. But refugees themselves say they have voices and need to be listened to. Refugee advocate Jean Marie Ishimwe tells host Obi Anyadike why it's time for the refugee-led organisation, or RLO, 'revolution'. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomf
'Give us the money': Aid as reparations | Rethinking Humanitarianism (REPLAY)
*This episode was originally published on December 14, 2022. The call for reparations, which has long reverberated in former colonies, is now gaining momentum in the aid and philanthropy sectors, too. It's a call that rejects the idea of aid as charitable giving, and instead reframes it as justice for the ravages of colonialism and imperialism. But like similar conversations in the United States
Migrants and refugees are easy political targets | What's Unsaid
A visit to Inzargai refugee registration centre in Afghanistan's Kandahar province prompts host Ali Latifi to explore how governments around the world are weaponising anti-refugee and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Economic and security "frustrations are absolutely real", Professor Muhammad Zaman, director of the Center on Forced Displacement at Boston University, tells him. "The outsider is an easy and
While we struggle to survive in Mali, the world looks away | First Person
Today's First Person story comes from Moussa Kondo, executive director of the Sahel Institute. Moussa recounts how drastically life has changed for everyday people in Mali, where years of conflict, climate change, and political isolation have left more than 7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The worsening political instability in the Sahel is featured in The New Humanitarian's a
Why we need to fund feminists | What's Unsaid
Young girls and women are leading the way in driving systemic change, and supporting their communities, but a new report, titled "We need to know the humanitarian sector stands with us", shows the extent to which they're being overlooked and underfunded – and makes a plea directly to the sector to change this. The report's co-author Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah tells host Obi Anyadike that "a real revolu
How mutual aid in Sudan is getting international support (UPDATED) | Rethinking Humanitarianism
*This episode originally aired in October 2023, and includes new interviews recorded days before the first anniversary of the war in Sudan. Hajooj Kuka, external communications officer for the Khartoum State Emergency Response Rooms, updates host Melissa Fundira on how mutual aid groups are scrambling to avert a famine, how badly needed funding continues to be bogged down by bureaucracy, and why
Gaza: Is a ceasefire enough? | What's Unsaid
Israel has continued to choose violence, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, an independent journalist of Palestinian descent, tells host Ali Latifi that "this is not just a humanitarian crisis. It's a global moral crisis." What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conve
Recommended
Harmonize Your Life: Conversation on Self-Care for Women of Color
Lighting the Legal Career Path
High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset
Pintastic® Pinterest Podcast
Learn 50 English Phrases While You Sleep | Everyday English Phrases & Vocabulary
The Daily
The Joe Rogan Experience
World News Tonight with David Muir
Talk About Talk - Executive & Leadership Communication Skills
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
Stand In The Circle
Conspiracy Files with Paige Carter
