The role of the private sector in emergency preparedness and humanitarian response was one of the major topics up for discussion at May’s World Humanitarian Summit. According to Dr. Sally Stansfield, a director in Deloitte Consulting LLP’s social impact practice, the private sector is beginning to fulfil its potential in this area.
“The private sector has finally got it — that we do not need to wait for an invitation to do the right things in the humanitarian space,” she told Devex’s Partnerships Editor Richard Jones. “We need to identify the opportunities and identify what we can do best.”
This, Stansfield said, meant doing more to help vulnerable societies, finding ways to work more constructively together and making sure inputs and assistance complement the work of other actors in humanitarian emergencies.
Watch the full interview to hear more from Stansfield on how the private sector and nongovernmental organizations can work better together to find solutions to humanitarian and development challenges, and why it’s a “false distinction” to draw a line between pro-bono and for-cost interventions.
Following the World Humanitarian Summit, Devex — along with its partners Deloitte, Ericsson, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — have come together for #ShareHumanity. This six-week online conversation explores the role the private sector plays in humanitarian relief efforts, preparedness and response, both now and in the future.
Use #ShareHumanity and tag @devex to have your say.
About the author
Naomi Mihara
Naomi Mihara is an Associate Editor for Devex, working on creative and audiovisual projects. She has a background in journalism and international development, having previously served as an assistant correspondent for Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun and as a communications officer for the International Organization for Migration in Southeast Asia. She holds a master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University.