Common Humanity, Shared Responsibility: Advancing Humanitarian Effectiveness

As of July 2015, an estimated 114 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, compared to 40 million just over ten years ago. Needs are not only growing, but their driv-
ers and time horizons have also changed (see sidebar and infographics at right for figures). Crisis-affected people face new challenges, some of which the international humanitarian system was not designed to manage when it was formally established 25 years ago.
Alongside these challenges is a growing range of on-the-ground capacities to prepare for and manage crises. Actors from all backgrounds are engaged in humanitarian action, beginning with affected people themselves, wielding unique contributions and skills. International humanitarian actors continue to play a fundamental role in providing assistance and protection when these other systems become over-whelmed or break down. Significant progress has been made in strengthening humanitarian coordination, professionalizing and establishing standards for delivery, and promoting resilience and accountability to a ected people. Despite these gains, too many people continue to fall through the cracks, or to be trapped in a humanitarian holding pattern that offers no clear path to normalize their circumstances.