New evidence reveals a compelling financial case for localizing humanitarian aid: Local organizations are delivering assistance in a more cost-efficient way than their international counterparts. And yet they remain woefully underfunded.
This week, donors, diplomats, and aid workers will gather in Geneva for the Grand Bargain annual summit to discuss the landmark 2016 commitment by aid agencies and donors to shift power and resources to the countries where humanitarian programs operate.
This year is on track to set yet another record for people in need of humanitarian assistance: 362 million and counting. Conflicts are spreading, resources are not keeping pace with this demand, and international humanitarian law is being routinely floated. But new evidence shows that the system is also failing on localizing aid, one of the central Grand Bargain commitments.