Fixing the humanitarian system: 7 questions and 7 answers

The humanitarian sector is stretched to the limit. It is struggling to meet the growing demands posed by the changing nature of conflict, the changing nature of disasters and the protracted nature of crisis.

The prospects for the future are no better, with 125 million people currently requiring humanitarian assistance and 60 million being displaced.

Globally, responses to humanitarian disasters and conflict receive approximately 93% of financing compared to prevention. As humanitarian emergencies become more frequent, more complex and last longer, we have a responsibility to manage risks before they become crises. This requires working across sectors to address the root causes of conflict and to better support disaster risk reduction efforts.

The World Humanitarian Summit provided a unique opportunity to bridge the divides between the peacebuilding, development, climate change and humanitarian communities to focus on prevention of disasters and conflict, and subsequently reduce humanitarian need.