The New Humanitarian
176 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsThe 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.
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Episodes
First person | How years of impunity gave Sudan’s generals licence to destroy my country
June 28, 2023 10:57 - 13 minutes - 19 MBHala al-Karib shares how the days unfolded when the violence started in Sudan, and what some of the root causes are according to her, including the failings of the international community. Today’s essay was written and read out by Hala al-Karib. She is the regional director of SIHA - the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa. The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster - placing them at the centre...
First person | A reporter reflects on Somalia’s record drought
June 14, 2023 14:15 - 10 minutes - 15.2 MBThe New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster - placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Today’s essay was written and read out by Liban Mahamad. He is a freelance journalist and writer from Somalia. In his essay, Liban looks at the limitations of international aid in Somalia, and in particular at how its short-termism risks perpetuating a cycle of need ...
First Person | The roots of the refugee protection system are colonial and racist
May 31, 2023 13:50 - 11 minutes - 15.5 MBFlipping the Narrative is an ongoing series by The New Humanitarian. It aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Today’s essay was written and read out by Sana Mustafa. She is a feminist human rights defender and CEO of Asylum Access. In her essay, Sana looks at power imbalances within the international refugee protection system, and calls for those who have be...
Interview | How to fix the UN’s sex abuse problem?
April 25, 2023 10:35 - 37 minutes - 51 MBChristian Saunders was appointed as the UN’s special coordinator on improving the response to sexual exploitation and abuse in July. The New Humanitarian’s Investigations Editor Paisley Dodds spoke with him on 19 April following his recent trip to South Sudan, where allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation surfaced last year at a UN-run camp for civilians in the northern city of Malakal. In their wide-ranging interview, Saunders says he believes in “radical transparency”, he...
In conversation with chef José Andrés | RH S3E12
April 12, 2023 14:43 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBDoes the humanitarian sector have something to learn from this celebrity’s approach to relief work? Chef José Andrés took his cooking skills to disaster zones and began distributing hot meals to people in need, via the NGO he founded: World Central Kitchen. Their model is simple: Respond quickly after a disaster by tapping into resources already available in affected communities – local chefs – and without all the bureaucracy of a big aid organisation. In this episode of Rethinking ...
In conversation with chef José Andrés | Rethinking Humanitarianism
April 12, 2023 14:43 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBDoes the humanitarian sector have something to learn from this celebrity’s approach to relief work? Chef José Andrés took his cooking skills to disaster zones and began distributing hot meals to people in need, via the NGO he founded: World Central Kitchen. Their model is simple: Respond quickly after a disaster by tapping into resources already available in affected communities – local chefs – and without all the bureaucracy of a big aid organisation. In this episode of Rethinking ...
Event | Principled humanitarian action in Ukraine
April 02, 2023 11:27 - 1 hour - 105 MBAt the European Humanitarian Forum, The New Humanitarian's CEO Heba Aly moderates a panel on principled humanitarian action in Ukraine.
More trade; less aid? | RH S3E11
February 22, 2023 17:15 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBAre more equitable trade policies possible at a time many countries are turning to protectionism? Why have developing countries and emerging economies not benefited as much from the globalised trade architecture as multinational corporations and international investors? And what needs to change for global trade to be more equitable? This episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism explores whether a re-imagined global trading system could reduce aid needs in the Global South. Guests: Nick D...
More trade; less aid? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
February 22, 2023 17:15 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBAre more equitable trade policies possible at a time many countries are turning to protectionism? Why have developing countries and emerging economies not benefited as much from the globalised trade architecture as multinational corporations and international investors? And what needs to change for global trade to be more equitable? This episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism explores whether a re-imagined global trading system could reduce aid needs in the Global South. Guests: Nick D...
In search of pandemic equity | Rethinking Humanitarianism
February 08, 2023 17:44 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic showed that the current global health architecture is not fit for purpose. While rich countries hoarded vaccines, low and middle income countries were left behind, coping with massive global healthcare inequalities. Despite lofty promises, COVAX, the global initiative launched during the pandemic to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of tests, treatments, and vaccines failed to deliver on its promises. This episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism explores how t...
In search of pandemic equity | RH S3E10
February 08, 2023 17:44 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic showed that the current global health architecture is not fit for purpose. While rich countries hoarded vaccines, low and middle income countries were left behind, coping with massive global healthcare inequalities. Despite lofty promises, COVAX, the global initiative launched during the pandemic to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of tests, treatments, and vaccines failed to deliver on its promises. This episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism explores how t...
Will the elite ever give up power? A view from Davos | Rethinking Humanitarianism
January 27, 2023 08:54 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBFor one week every year, some of the world’s richest business people and most powerful politicians descend on the Alpine ski town of Davos, Switzerland. They’re here for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, which bills itself as the premiere global forum for the public and private sectors to join forces to “drive tangible, systemic change for the future”. But systemic change would require them to give up some of their wealth and power, like paying their fair share of taxes, or endin...
Will the elite ever give up power? A view from Davos | RH S3E9
January 27, 2023 08:54 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBFor one week every year, some of the world’s richest business people and most powerful politicians descend on the Alpine ski town of Davos, Switzerland. They’re here for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, which bills itself as the premiere global forum for the public and private sectors to join forces to “drive tangible, systemic change for the future”. But systemic change would require them to give up some of their wealth and power, like paying their fair share of taxes, or endin...
EVENT | Crises and Trends to Watch in 2023
January 17, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 118 MBThe effects of the war in Ukraine continue to ripple across the globe. We are near the point of no return for those on the front lines of the climate crisis. Soaring public debt is preventing governments from being able to prepare for crises. These trends are shaping the world – and humanitarian needs – in 2023. But what are policymakers doing about them? Listen to policymakers from both donor and national governments as they discuss their priorities for the year ahead with civil society r...
What science fiction teaches us about imagining a better world | RH S3E8
January 11, 2023 06:30 - 59 minutes - 81.4 MBTime and again, guests on this season of Rethinking Humanitarianism have called for systemic changes to the humanitarian system and global governance – from alternatives to the UN to revolutionised global climate financing. But how can you imagine something you’ve never seen before, while being grounded in the realities of today? In many ways, this is the domain of science fiction. The writer and activist Walidah Imarisha once said: “Any time we try to envision a different world – withou...
What science fiction teaches us about imagining a better world | Rethinking Humanitarianism
January 11, 2023 06:30 - 59 minutes - 81.4 MBTime and again, guests on this season of Rethinking Humanitarianism have called for systemic changes to the humanitarian system and global governance – from alternatives to the UN to revolutionised global climate financing. But how can you imagine something you’ve never seen before, while being grounded in the realities of today? In many ways, this is the domain of science fiction. The writer and activist Walidah Imarisha once said: “Any time we try to envision a different world – withou...
‘Give us the money’: Aid as reparations | Rethinking Humanitarianism
December 14, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 78.2 MBThe 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 around slavery, the idea of international reparations for colonialism is a political hot potato. This, despite the many precedents for reparations program...
‘Give us the money’: Aid as reparations | RH S3E7
December 14, 2022 13:00 - 56 minutes - 78.2 MBThe 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 around slavery, the idea of international reparations for colonialism is a political hot potato. This, despite the many precedents for reparations program...
How a small island nation is leading the charge for more equitable global governance | RH S3E6
November 30, 2022 13:37 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MBFor many countries in the Global South, tackling today’s interlocking crises – climate change, the pandemic, the rising cost of living supercharged by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – is made practically impossible by sky-high interest rates on runaway government debt. Enter Barbados. No world leader is being invoked more at the moment than Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, along with her ambitious plan to change the global financial system to end crippling debt and build climate resi...
How a small island nation is leading the charge for more equitable global governance | Rethinking Humanitarianism
November 30, 2022 13:37 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MBFor many countries in the Global South, tackling today’s interlocking crises – climate change, the pandemic, the rising cost of living supercharged by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – is made practically impossible by sky-high interest rates on runaway government debt. Enter Barbados. No world leader is being invoked more at the moment than Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, along with her ambitious plan to change the global financial system to end crippling debt and build climate resi...
Will countries hit by climate change finally get payouts at COP27? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
November 16, 2022 16:00 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBFor the first time in the COP summits’ nearly 30-year history, a call for climate reparations championed by the world’s most vulnerable nations has made it onto the official agenda. It’s formally called loss and damage, and it entails payouts from developed countries (who have profited the most from burning fossil fuels) to developing countries (who are suffering the worst from the impacts of climate change). Will this notion be accepted by rich countries? Or will political realities a...
Will countries hit by climate change finally get payouts at COP27? | RH S3E5
November 16, 2022 16:00 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBFor the first time in the COP summits’ nearly 30-year history, a call for climate reparations championed by the world’s most vulnerable nations has made it onto the official agenda. It’s formally called loss and damage, and it entails payouts from developed countries (who have profited the most from burning fossil fuels) to developing countries (who are suffering the worst from the impacts of climate change). Will this notion be accepted by rich countries? Or will political realities a...
Can Global Public Investment replace aid financing as we know it? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
November 02, 2022 13:06 - 48 minutes - 67.1 MBAll contribute, all decide, all benefit: the three pillars of a bold idea to transform how global public goods are financed. Once laughed off as a pie-in-the-sky idea, Global Public Investment (GPI) has been gaining traction in recent years and is increasingly seen as a plausible paradigm shift for a traditional aid system beholden to the whims of wealthy countries and stuck in a failing donor-recipient binary. Host Heba Aly sits down with two people working to make GPI “technically sound”...
Can Global Public Investment replace aid financing as we know it? | RH S3E4
November 02, 2022 13:06 - 48 minutes - 67.1 MBAll contribute, all decide, all benefit: the three pillars of a bold idea to transform how global public goods are financed. Once laughed off as a pie-in-the-sky idea, Global Public Investment (GPI) has been gaining traction in recent years and is increasingly seen as a plausible paradigm shift for a traditional aid system beholden to the whims of wealthy countries and stuck in a failing donor-recipient binary. Host Heba Aly sits down with two people working to make GPI “technically sound”...
EVENT | Launch of the Pledge for Change 2030
November 01, 2022 08:52 - 1 hour - 127 MBSoon after her interview with Degan Ali (Executive Director, Adeso) on whether decolonising aid is an oxymoron, our host, Heba Aly, moderated the launch of the Pledge for Change – a new set of commitments spearheaded by Adeso and other INGOs to reimagine their role in the aid sector by 2030.
Is “decolonised aid” an oxymoron? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
October 19, 2022 13:09 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBIs decolonising aid a call for reform, or a call to end aid altogether? Are these two approaches mutually exclusive, or can they co-exist? Is decolonised aid even achievable within our current global governance system? Host Heba Aly discusses these tensions with one of the leaders of the movement to decolonise aid, Degan Ali, executive director of Adeso.
Is “decolonised aid” an oxymoron? | RH S3E3
October 19, 2022 13:09 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBIs decolonising aid a call for reform, or a call to end aid altogether? Are these two approaches mutually exclusive, or can they co-exist? Is decolonised aid even achievable within our current global governance system? Host Heba Aly discusses these tensions with one of the leaders of the movement to decolonise aid, Degan Ali, executive director of Adeso.
What could an alternative to the UN look like? | Rethinking Humanitarianism
October 05, 2022 17:48 - 53 minutes - 74.3 MBCalls to reform the UN Security Council – and the UN system as a whole – were more forceful at this year’s UN General Assembly, but will anything come of them?
What could an alternative to the UN look like? | RH S3E2
October 05, 2022 17:48 - 53 minutes - 74.3 MBCalls to reform the UN Security Council – and the UN system as a whole – were more forceful at this year’s UN General Assembly, but will anything come of them?
Season 3 of Rethinking Humanitarianism
October 03, 2022 17:01 - 3 minutes - 5.03 MBThis season, we’re proving a space to reimagine the global governance system – one that is rooted in justice for the most marginalised and capable of addressing the challenges of our times.
Peter Maurer on 10 years as ICRC President | RH S3E1
September 21, 2022 14:17 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBIn his last month on the job, Maurer sits down with host Heba Aly to reflect on his decade as ICRC president.
Peter Maurer on 10 years as ICRC President | Rethinking Humanitarianism
September 21, 2022 14:17 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBIn his last month on the job, Maurer sits down with host Heba Aly to reflect on his decade as ICRC president.
Event | Nabil Alawzari in conversation with TNH Middle East Editor Annie Slemrod
September 16, 2022 12:12 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBNabil Alawzari is a Yemeni freelance photojournalist working on rights and freedoms. This discussion was about the current situation in Yemen and Nabil's lived experience there.
EVENT | Nabil Alawzari in conversation with TNH Middle East Editor Annie Slemrod
September 16, 2022 12:12 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBNabil Alawzari is a Yemeni freelance photojournalist working on rights and freedoms. This discussion was about the current situation in Yemen and Nabil's lived experience there.
EVENT | Anthony Langat in conversation with TNH Senior Africa Editor Obi Anyadike
September 14, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBAnthony Langat is a Kenya-based reporter covering environment, climate change, health, and security. Topics discussed included drought, climate change, conflict, impact on pastoralism in Kenya, and more.
Event | Anthony Langat in conversation with TNH Senior Africa Editor Obi Anyadike
September 14, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBAnthony Langat is a Kenya-based reporter covering environment, climate change, health, and security. Topics discussed included drought, climate change, conflict, impact on pastoralism in Kenya, and more.
EVENT | Megan Janetsky in conversation with TNH Latin America Editor-at-large Paula Dupraz-Dobias
September 13, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 74.4 MBMegan Janetsky is a Colombia-based reporter and photographer covering migration, women's issues and human rights in Latin America. Topics discussed included crises and trends in Latin America, the COVID-19 hangover, social media, migration, political shifts, emerging crises, and more.
Event | Megan Janetsky in conversation with TNH Latin America Editor-at-large Paula Dupraz-Dobias
September 13, 2022 10:00 - 54 minutes - 74.4 MBMegan Janetsky is a Colombia-based reporter and photographer covering migration, women's issues and human rights in Latin America. Topics discussed included crises and trends in Latin America, the COVID-19 hangover, social media, migration, political shifts, emerging crises, and more.
Event | Thin Lei Win in conversation with TNH Policy Editor Irwin Loy
September 12, 2022 12:23 - 57 minutes - 79 MBThin Lei Win is an award-winning multimedia journalist specialising in food and climate issues for various international news media and also through her own newsletter Thin Ink. Topics discussed included food security, climate issues, what's happening in Myanmar, social media’s hate problem, humanitarian challenges, and more.
EVENT | Thin Lei Win in conversation with TNH Policy Editor Irwin Loy
September 12, 2022 12:23 - 57 minutes - 79 MBThin Lei Win is an award-winning multimedia journalist specialising in food and climate issues for various international news media and also through her own newsletter Thin Ink. Topics discussed included food security, climate issues, what's happening in Myanmar, social media’s hate problem, humanitarian challenges, and more.
Weapons as aid? | RH Bonus edition
July 12, 2022 13:19 - 47 minutes - 64.8 MBCalls for arms to take precedence over humanitarian assistance in Ukraine are driving renewed discussions over the limits of aid neutrality. In this pop-up episode of the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast, host Heba Aly sits down with Yevhenia Cravchuk, a Ukrainian member of parliament, Ukrainian first aid responder Fedir Serdiuk, and Robert Mardini, the director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Weapons as aid? | Rethinking Humanitarianism (Bonus episode)
July 12, 2022 13:19 - 47 minutes - 64.8 MBCalls for arms to take precedence over humanitarian assistance in Ukraine are driving renewed discussions over the limits of aid neutrality. In this pop-up episode of the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast, host Heba Aly sits down with Yevhenia Cravchuk, a Ukrainian member of parliament, Ukrainian first aid responder Fedir Serdiuk, and Robert Mardini, the director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Is Ukraine a game-changer for aid and the private sector? | Rethinking Humanitarianism (Davos Special)
June 02, 2022 15:07 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBRussia's invasion has led to unprecedented levels of humanitarian support from big business. Leaders from the political and business world gathered in Davos, Switzerland in late May for the annual World Economic Forum, where the war in Ukraine topped the agenda. Since the start of the Russian invasion, companies have donated more than $1.4 billion in cash to support the humanitarian response, in addition to many other forms of assistance. In this special episode, host Heba Aly explores whe...
Is Ukraine a game-changer for aid and the private sector? | RH Davos Special
June 02, 2022 15:07 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBRussia's invasion has led to unprecedented levels of humanitarian support from big business. Leaders from the political and business world gathered in Davos, Switzerland in late May for the annual World Economic Forum, where the war in Ukraine topped the agenda. Since the start of the Russian invasion, companies have donated more than $1.4 billion in cash to support the humanitarian response, in addition to many other forms of assistance. In this special episode, host Heba Aly explores whe...
Is Ukraine a game-changer for aid and the private sector? RH Davos Special
June 02, 2022 15:07 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBRussia's invasion has led to unprecedented levels of humanitarian support from big business. Leaders from the political and business world gathered in Davos, Switzerland in late May for the annual World Economic Forum, where the war in Ukraine topped the agenda. Since the start of the Russian invasion, companies have donated more than $1.4 billion in cash to support the humanitarian response, in addition to many other forms of assistance. In this special episode, host Heba Aly explores whe...
Ukraine & Beyond: Whose suffering counts? | TNH Event
June 01, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBThe New Humanitarian hosted a debate on media coverage of humanitarian crises and why Ukraine has dominated Western media since the start of the war. Speaking with four panelist, TNH CEO Heba Aly discussed why some crises get more attention than others and what that tells us about our inherent biases. Panel guests: Patrick Gathara, media critic; Hugo Slim, humanitarian ethicist; Mel Bunce, City, University of London; Mustafa Alio, managing director R-SEAT.
EVENT | Ukraine & Beyond: Whose suffering counts?
June 01, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBThe New Humanitarian hosted a debate on media coverage of humanitarian crises and why Ukraine has dominated Western media since the start of the war. Speaking with four panelist, TNH CEO Heba Aly discussed why some crises get more attention than others and what that tells us about our inherent biases. Panel guests: Patrick Gathara, media critic; Hugo Slim, humanitarian ethicist; Mel Bunce, City, University of London; Mustafa Alio, managing director R-SEAT.
The dangers of border technology for refugees | Fixing Aid
May 19, 2022 13:08 - 23 minutes - 32.1 MBHow are mass surveillance, biometric data, and other high-tech border measures affecting refugees and migrants? In this episode of Fixing Aid, host Alae Ismail speaks to a Latinx community organiser and migration researchers on the use of border and surveillance technology aimed at stopping refugees and migrants from crossing European and American borders. She also hears from people on the move who share what it feels like to be watched and tracked at all times. Guests: Cinthya Rodrigu...
Is it possible to predict future forced displacement? | Fixing Aid
May 05, 2022 13:17 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBIs it possible to accurately predict how many people will be forcibly displaced in the future? If so, how might this help aid responses? In this episode of Fixing Aid, host Alae Ismail speaks to the Danish Refugee Council about the prediction tool they’ve developed with tech company IBM. Exploring both its potential and its limitations, she also hears from a Sahelian pastoralist organisation and a Syrian campaigner about the implications more precise forecasting has for providing better ai...
Do tech-based tools help or hinder the Ukrainian aid response? | Fixing Aid
April 14, 2022 10:53 - 21 minutes - 30.3 MBIs there a better way to organise the many tech-based tools that popped up in Poland to help refugees from Ukraine? In this episode of Fixing Aid, host Alae Ismail hears from a Ukrainian refugee there about her difficulties in getting information and support to rebuild her life, and talks to a tech entrepreneur trying to help. Ismail also speaks to a non-profit that matches NGOs with pro bono tech support, and with an aid agency receiving this assistance. Guests: Michal Czekalski, CEO of Dia...