Global Forum Briefing Paper 3: Good humanitarian action is consistent with longer term political, economic and social processes

This paper looks at the obstacles to humanitarian action being consistent with longer term political, economic and social processes and provides recommendations synthesised from submitted proposition papers. It is one of the briefing papers prepared for the Global Forum taking place in New York on 4-5 June 2015.

Intervening in the underlying issues that lead to humanitarian crises – be they poverty, marginalisation or political instability – can arguably prevent the need to respond in the long term. As such, longer-term interventions of this nature can ultimately increase the dignity and self-sufficiency of vulnerable people and decrease suffering. By reducing the need for humanitarian response, this form of intervention can also, arguably, reduce the costs associated with response.