Last year saw levels of hunger soar around the world as a result of climate change-related weather events, conflict, COVID-19, and all-time-high food prices. According to the World Food Programme, a staggering 349 million people in 79 countries are facing acute food insecurity. And in parallel, global displacement is hitting record levels, with nearly 90 million people forcibly displaced in 2021. Since then, the figure has risen significantly further, mainly as a result of the war in Ukraine which has caused over 8 million people to seek refuge in other countries.
These parallel and in many ways interlinked crises have highlighted the need to move beyond short-term, reactive humanitarian action and instead adopt models that lay the foundations to avert future emergencies.
“The humanitarian system is still based on response, acting after a crisis has happened,” said Christina Bennett, CEO at Start Network, a membership organization working to create a new era of more effective humanitarian action. Despite the changing nature of disasters and how much geopolitics has shifted in the last century, the system looks similar to 100 years ago, she added. “This has resulted in responses that are late, inadequate, and not appropriate to what communities want and need.”
Explore this visual story to learn more.
About the author
Devex Partnerships
Thanks for reading and for your interest in Devex. In collaboration with our partners, Devex’s partnerships editorial team produces content to promote a partner’s work or perspectives on a particular issue. It gives actors across the global development sector — including nongovernmental organizations, private sector stakeholders, aid agencies and government institutions — the opportunity to go beyond traditional advertising and tell their stories in an impactful way. If you’d like to learn more about how you can shine a spotlight on a particular issue with Devex, please email partnerships@devex.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
