Humanitarian Agenda

Exploring and highlighting the changing landscape of humanitarian assistance in the 21st century

With an unprecedented number of humanitarian crises around the world, the Humanitarian Agenda is committed to inform policy solutions to novel humanitarian challenges through expert dialogue and analysis and to developing and advancing avenues for improving humanitarian response and increasing humanitarian access.

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Photo: JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Mitigating Financial Access Challenges

Nonprofits experience significant difficulties transferring funds for humanitarian and peacebuilding activities in areas with the presence of sanctioned actors. Ensuring financial access requires close cooperation between the nonprofit, governmental, and financial sectors.

Report by Jacob Kurtzer , Sue Eckert , and Sierra Ballard — October 25, 2022

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Beyond Aid Podcast

Beyond Aid

Beyond Aid brings you stories about humanitarian actors and action that go beyond the challenging headlines to focus on how we can find hope and where we can find opportunities to drive change.

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Rethinking Humanitarian Assistance: Climate and Crisis in the Horn of Africa

Humanitarian actors face unprecedented scale and frequency of climate shocks, making existing challenges harder to address. A new CSIS report analyzes the current crisis in the Horn of Africa and presents ideas on rethinking humanitarian assistance to chronic crises.

Report by Beza Tesfaye , Erol Yayboke , Anastasia Strouboulis , and Abigail Edwards — January 9, 2023

Photo: Erol Yayboke

The Humanitarian Influence of Yemen's Truce

Despite a six-month truce, humanitarian conditions in Yemen remain dire while the implications of the truce’s expiration remain uncertain. Ongoing humanitarian and protection concerns remain, while a funding gap impedes the ability of aid actors to respond.

Commentary by Sierra Ballard and Jacob Kurtzer — December 19, 2022

Photo: KHALED ZIAD/AFP via Getty Images
Beyond Aid

Beyond Despair: Gretchen Steidle

Kirsten Gelsdorf speaks with Gretchen Ki Steidle the founder of Global Grassroots, a mindfulness-based social venture incubator for women in East Africa.

Podcast Episode — November 17, 2022

CSIS Beyond Aid

2022 Washington Humanitarian Forum: Closing the Gap

Please join the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda for the 2022 Washington Human Forum, examining new actors and changing narratives within the humanitarian sector.

Event by Jacob Kurtzer , Kimberly Flowers , Katherine E. Bliss , Jon B. Alterman , ​Marti Flacks , Mvemba Phezo Dizolele , Beza Tesfaye , Natasha Hall , and Hadeil Ali — November 9, 2022

Photo: FARSHAD USYAN/AFP/Getty Images
Beyond Aid

Beyond Despair: Chris Hoffman

In this episode, Jake Kurtzer speaks with Chris Hoffman to discuss how to inspire healing amidst the inundation of information and stress that can impact the mental health of on-the-ground humanitarian actors.

Podcast Episode by Jacob Kurtzer — November 9, 2022

CSIS Beyond Aid
Beyond Aid

Beyond Despair: Jahson and Rana

Kirsten Gelsdorf speaks with Jahson Bull, lead guitarist of Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. Following their conversation, Jake Kurtzer speaks with Rana who explains the challenges facing people with disabilities in Bangladesh.

Podcast Episode by Jacob Kurtzer — November 3, 2022

CSIS Beyond Aid
Beyond Aid

Beyond the Camera: Waad and Dr. Hamza Al-Kateab

Kirsten Gelsdorf speaks with Waad and Dr. Hamza al-Kateab, filmmakers and frontline humanitarian responders to the siege on Aleppo in Syria.

Podcast Episode — October 26, 2022

CSIS Beyond Aid

Mitigating Financial Access Challenges

Nonprofits experience significant difficulties transferring funds for humanitarian and peacebuilding activities in areas with the presence of sanctioned actors. Ensuring financial access requires close cooperation between the nonprofit, governmental, and financial sectors.

Report by Jacob Kurtzer , Sue Eckert , and Sierra Ballard — October 25, 2022

Photo: JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images