Members of the largest alliance of U.S.-based international NGOs have laid off or furloughed 3,000 employees, according to Sam Worthington, CEO of InterAction. That is just an early indication of what significant challenges the international NGO sector will face as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, he said.
In an interview with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar, Worthington also discusses how international NGOs are responding to the global health crisis, the implications for aid worker security and jobs, NGO mergers and acquisitions, and how NGO executives can best survive the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
More interviews with humanitarian leaders on COVID-19. Watch:
• How Jan Egeland sees the crisis developing
• Mark Dybul calls for global task force
• Amref Health Africa CEO on the impact on NGO finances
• Former OFDA chief gives Trump administration a ‘D’ on response
• How behavioral science is changing the response
• How Rwanda got ahead of the pandemic curve
Visit our dedicated COVID-19 page for news, job opportunities, and funding insights.
About the author
Raj Kumarraj_devex
Raj Kumar is the President and Editor-in-Chief at Devex, the media platform for the global development community. He is a media leader and former humanitarian council chair for the World Economic Forum and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His work has led him to more than 50 countries, where he has had the honor to meet many of the aid workers and development professionals who make up the Devex community. He is the author of the book "The Business of Changing the World," a go-to primer on the ideas, people, and technology disrupting the aid industry.