Opportunity Knocks: Why non-western donors enter humanitarianism and how to make the best of it

Non-Western countries like Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil and Turkey have started to take part in global humanitarian action. Their engagement raises a number of fundamental questions: How will the diversification of government donors affect humanitarian activities and principles, the people and governments of crisis-affected countries or humanitarian organizations? This article finds that the rise of non-Western donors involves both risks, such as normative conflicts, and great potential, such as increased access and more resources. It also finds that non-Western humanitarian engagement has become too substantial to ignore and that opportunities can only be seized and risks mitigated if traditional actors actively engage with non-Western donors on a level playing field.