‘High on the [NATO] summit’s agenda will be exit strategies and the buzz words ‘security transition’. Few are likely to be paying attention to the humanitarian consequences of troop withdrawal or addressing the human cost of their departure.’
'there are more nuanced examples about how war, conflict and suffering are portrayed in efforts to promote action and to get people to donate to charities. Kony 2012 risks taking over what could be an otherwise broader discussion on these issues.'
'It is, therefore, imperative, irrespective of the direction taken at [the London] conference [on Somalia], that the political community takes heed of these concerns and commits to ensuring that all sides of the conflict adhere to international humanitarian and human rights law, and that the neutral and independent character of humanitarian relief is both supported and respected.'
'Above all, more robust and coherent political action is required regionally and internationally to help identify solutions to outstanding issues between the two countries and bring the conflict in the border areas to an end.'
'Let us leave the anniversary for a human experience... And let us reflect as individuals on the fact that avoidable poverty continues to make people unnecessarily vulnerable to such tragedy'.
'Dealing with climate change is going to need better deals to reduce emissions, new technologies, more funding... But most of all, it's going to need a quantum leap in people’s ability to predict, analyse and deal with change and not fall into abject poverty. Forget about changing how we do development. Let’s talk about a revolution.'
The UN has designated the situation in Somalia the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world. This crisis was foreseen - so why didn't early warning translate into early action? Samir Elhawary, HPG Research Fellow debates the issues on this Guardian podcast.
A debate between Linda Polman, author of 'War Games:the Story of Aid and War in Modern Times' and Samir Elhawary, Research Fellow with the HPG. Originally broadcast on the BBC this discussion centres on the use of humanitarian aid.
This week, the spectre of famine in the Horn of Africa has reappeared on our television screens and in our newspapers. In this ODI blog post Simon Levine discusses the causes, impacts and implications of the crisis.
Madeleine Bunting, Xan Rice, Mabior Philip, Jok Madut Jok, Sara Pantuliano, Jonas Njelango
The Republic of South Sudan will be born on 9 July. Sara Pantuliano joins guests on this Guardian Focus podcast to discuss the future of the world's newest nation.
The UN Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka has recommended a full review of the UN's response to the final phase of the war. The scale of the failure to protect civilians makes it imperative that this recommendation be fully implemented.
ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group respond to the UK Government's Humanitarian Emergency Response Review, suggesting that if DFID takes the review on board, the changes will be felt far beyond the sphere of UK-funded aid.
The UK Government's Humanitarian Emergency Response Review will be launched on Monday 28th March. Sara Pantuliano outlines the key areas of focus for the review in this ODI blog post.
Sunday's referendum on secession for Southern Sudan must be the basis for a new beginning in both internal and external attitudes towards the future of the region according to comments from Sara Pantuliano, Head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute. The country expert heralded the role of the international community in ensuring that the referendum could go ahead but warned that issues of land, infrastructure and resource distribution would continue to impact on the efforts of all involved to bring stability to the whole of Sudan.
