• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Career
    • 2019 in Review

    Devex's top advice from 2019 for supporting humanitarian well-being

    Devex rounds up the top stories from 2019 which highlight the importance of organizations supporting the mental health and well-being of their humanitarian staff.

    By Emma Smith // 23 December 2019
    Devex rounds up the top stories from 2019 which highlight the importance of organizations supporting the mental health and well-being of their humanitarian staff. Photo by: jcomp / freepik.com

    Life as a humanitarian can mean long stints away from family and serving in some of the most high-risk contexts, where resources are limited and movement is restricted. Working long hours in a fast-paced, stressful environment amid an often volatile security situation can leave aid workers feeling burned out. Even when they return home, many struggle to return to their daily routine and can suffer from post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues.

    Here are some of our top stories from 2019 highlighting the importance of organizations supporting the mental health and well-being of their humanitarian staff.

    How to support employee mental health in the aid sector

    Dr. Kavita Avula, lead consulting psychologist with The KonTerra Group, joined Devex for a conference call to discuss how organizations can better support the mental health and well-being of their staff. Avula stresses the importance of creating a healthy management culture and talking regularly about mental health issues. She also shares tips for how best to support a colleague who shows signs of burnout or stress.

    Humanitarian staff need better post-assignment care

    Post-assignment duty of care is often overlooked and there can be an assumption that staff return from assignments and continue with their lives as normal. Experts tell Devex how even resource-strapped organizations can provide better support by taking a proactive approach, tapping into alumni networks, and giving staff the chance to talk through their experiences.

    How coaching can help build more resilient and resourceful humanitarian staff

    Find out how one U.N. agency is providing coaching to staff in the most destitute and remote locations. Moving away from a “remedial, crisis-intervention mode” and taking a more proactive approach, the agency hopes that promoting staff development and well-being will better equip them to cope when crisis hits.

    LGBT staff safety on humanitarian deployments is everyone's responsibility

    The LGBT community is highly vulnerable in some areas of the world and can encounter hostility, harassment, and violence during deployments. Experts explain what individuals and their employers can do to support the safety and security of LGBT staff during humanitarian deployments.

    What's it like to be a woman humanitarian in the field

    From working in remote and unstable contexts to dealing with menstruation and the threat of sexual violence, women humanitarians face a multitude of safety and security risks. Two experienced aid workers share their tips for coping with life in the field, including how to avoid boredom and burnout.

    • Humanitarian Aid
    • Global Health
    • Social/Inclusive Development
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Emma Smith

      Emma Smith@emmasmith_bcn

      For four years, Emma Smith covered careers and recruitment, among other topics, for Devex. She now freelances for Devex and has a special interest in mental health, immigration, and sexual and reproductive health. She holds a degree in journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University and a master’s in media and international conflict.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Devex Career HubDevex Career Hub: The top USAID-funded NGOs hiring now

    Devex Career Hub: The top USAID-funded NGOs hiring now

    Recruiter InsightsStaffing priorities for the Sudan humanitarian crisis

    Staffing priorities for the Sudan humanitarian crisis

    Devex Career HubDevex Career Hub: 3 tips for using AI in your 2025 job hunt

    Devex Career Hub: 3 tips for using AI in your 2025 job hunt

    The future of US aid‘I don’t think anyone can survive for 90 days’: Aid’s grim new reality

    ‘I don’t think anyone can survive for 90 days’: Aid’s grim new reality

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 3
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 4
      How AI-powered citizen science can be a catalyst for the SDGs
    • 5
      WHO names new directors in ongoing restructure
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement