Relief Chief: A discussion on the new paradigm of humanitarian assistance.

Humanitarian organizations do their jobs well in times of crisis.  Be it crisis born from conflict, famine, climate change, or natural disasters, the humanitarian sector knows how to respond to people's needs when they are in need.  Mark Lowcock suggests that despite this great work on the ground, it almost always takes shape as reactions to crisis, rather than prevention of crisis.  With 35 years of humanitarian experience, Mark Lowcock's forthcoming book "Relief Chief" makes the case that global humanitarian efforts need to work on preventing crisis.  It requires accepting the challenges of a new paradigm of humanitarian emergencies and by ensuring that the needs of those in crisis are heard and responded to with appropriate care and compassion.

Mark's new book is titled "Relief Chief: A Manifesto for Saving Lives in Dire Times.

Mark Lowcock was appointed United Nations Under‑Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator in May 2017 and served in that role until June 2021. He was previously Permanent Secretary of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. As one of the most distinguished international public servants, Lowcock has spent more than 35 years leading and managing responses to humanitarian crises across the globe. He has authored opinion articles for The Washington Post, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times, Le Monde, CNN, and others. He was twice awarded medals by Queen Elizabeth II for services to international development and public service, including Knighthood in 2017. He is a Visiting Professor of Practice in the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and a Distinguished Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development.

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