Red Cross official calls on philanthropy to assist in crisis zones

Philanthropy is shaping up to play a critical role in addressing development challenges as traditional donor funding dries up. But there are questions as to what role it can play and if it can assist in some of the most challenging humanitarian contexts. The world is facing a compounding number of crises — from wars to climate change — that are displacing millions of people. In 2025, the World Bank found that 421 million people living in conflict or instability live on less than $3 a day, its threshold for extreme poverty. By 2030, the bank projects this population will further rise to 435 million. It is in these places that the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals fail the most, said Balthasar Staehelin, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross’ regional delegation for East Asia. “We need philanthropy to step in with us in these difficult places, because the states have a dwindling capacity to respond to it,” he said during a session on the role of philanthropy in turbulent times at the AVPN conference in Hong Kong, where different funders came together. However, “the question is, will you go also to the hard places … or will you go to the more easy places?” he asked philanthropists in the room. Populations, especially those living in protracted conflicts, such as in Sudan and Gaza, also want livelihoods, reliable health services, and access to education that goes beyond emergency response. These are all areas where philanthropy can help. Staehelin acknowledged that there are serious risks involved in channeling funding for programs or investing in such places. But it may be a small price to pay for trying to bring livelihoods and access to basic services to populations whose lives are at constant risk and supporting those working on the frontlines of crises. “The most important impact is what does not happen. It’s the hospital that is not bombed; it’s the civilians that are not displaced; it’s the prisoners that are not tortured; it’s the women that are not raped,” he said. How philanthropy can step in The challenges go beyond wars and conflicts. In some places, civic spaces are shrinking, climate change is putting a lot of stress on people and governments, and misinformation and disinformation are also becoming more widespread. In early 2025, with the significant and abrupt cuts in USAID funding, many organizations also had to reduce or shutter their operations, leaving a gap in the services that communities are receiving. Health systems in countries where foreign aid covered a huge bulk of the health budgets also suffered, either through the loss of data, health personnel, or programs. “For some of the countries, it’s almost … a massive challenge. And I think philanthropic actors have to ask themselves the question: ‘Can we contribute to that? And in which forms?’” Staehelin said. Philanthropists at the conference offered insights on what has worked, including listening to those working on the front lines. “I often joke with my children [that] there’s a difference between hearing and listening. To hear is just to hear my words, but to listen is to hear and think about what I’m trying to say and then potentially, hopefully, take action on those,” said Shivani Garg Patel, chief strategy officer at Skoll Foundation, which launched an emergency fund and a pivot fund in response to the U.S. funding cuts. Both funds included flexible funding. But Patel said that by listening, they learned funding is not always the only thing organizations need. “Over 80% said, ‘We need help on strategic planning. We need help on financial planning. We need connections to places that are going to help us access those capabilities and relationships into these new networks,’” she said. Larry Kramer, president and vice chancellor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and who was previously president of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, suggested philanthropists focus on the goal or mission and be flexible instead of exercising too much control over every dollar they’re giving. In addition, given the current political environment, he said philanthropists need to carefully balance sticking with their principles and achieving their goals. “The political risks and challenges that funders face are unquestionably greater than they’ve ever been,” Kramer said. “I left the U.S. right before the election took place, and there’s a part of me that … kind of would be curious if I would have the courage of my convictions if I were really facing the kinds of risks and challenges many of you are facing in the work that you do,” he added. He also said both global and local funding are important. “In many of the conversations that I’ve had, at least with Asian philanthropists, and this is obviously not true for all of them, the focus is on wanting to bring benefits to the region. And that’s, of course, important,” he said. “But funding globally actually does have important … benefits for the region. The soft power that the U.S. developed was very much attributable to U.S. global philanthropy, which was [in] no way controlled by the government.”