The New Humanitarianisms: A review of trends in global humanitarian action

The international humanitarian system has experienced a massive rate of change over the past decade. There have been significant shifts in the understanding of humanitarian need and of the context in which humanitarian assistance is provided. At the same time, international expectations of the role of humanitarian action have evolved. No longer seen
as simply a palliative for the worst excesses of man and for the impact of natural hazards, many see humanitarian action as part of a wider agenda of conflict management and development.
This report reviews and analyses the key trends influencing humanitarian action over the past decade. It comprises five chapters:
? Chapter 1, written by Joanna Macrae of the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG), introduces and analyses the key elements of change shaping the international humanitarian system. The following four commissioned chapters analyse important areas in greater detail.
? Chapter 2, written by Judith Randel and Tony German of Development Initiatives, describes and assesses changes in the financing of humanitarian assistance.
? Chapter 3, by Nicola Reindorp, formerly of HPG, examines developments in the role and structure of UN humanitarian assistance.
? Chapter 4, by Abby Stoddard of the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, assesses trends in US humanitarian policy.
? Chapter 5, by Emery Brusset and Christine Tiberghien of Channel Research Limited, analyses developments in the European Union (EU)’s approach to humanitarian action.

The paper also draws on wider HPG research, as well as on a series of interviews with representatives of NGOs, donors, the UN and academia, conducted by Margaret Buchanan-Smith of HPG. A list of interviewees is given in the Annex to this report.