World Disasters Report 2015 - Focus on local actors, the key to humanitarian effectiveness

The Ebola crisis in West Africa, the Nepal earthquake, the conflict in Syria, floods in Germany and Hurricane Sandy in the United States mobilized IFRC's humanitarian response. They were all very different crises, but they shared one common feature. Each of them highlighted the critical yet often undervalued role of local actors.

Local actors are uniquely placed to find solutions that reduce underlying risks because of their understanding of local contexts – of weather patterns, of community leaders, of vulnerabilities and of sources of strength. They are able to support communities to pre-empt and address future crises and threats, and to become stronger and more resilient in the process.

This year’s World Disasters Report calls for the recognition of the role that local actors play. It invites governments and the international aid community to do more to reinforce and support that critical role. However, the whole responsibility for responding to large-scale disasters cannot be transferred to local actors. The international community still has a very important role to play, but a better balance needs to be struck. International actors can provide specialized resources and technical expertise, brought with humility, trust and respect, and with a true commitment to building local capacity.