Leveraging Longer-term Humanitarian Funding for HDP Coherence

The past decades have seen a rise in the number and length of recurrent and protracted crises. Severe drought emergencies are becoming more frequent, while conflict-driven crises now last an average of nine years. As a result, humanitarian operations have grown in volume, cost, and duration.

Violent conflict, protracted displacement, climate-related crises, and other factors demand that we change the ways in which humanitarian interventions are delivered in order to meet immediate needs while helping to protect development gains and advance future well-being. The complex and shifting nature of these crises means that peoples’ needs extend far beyond short-term support even while urgent assistance is still required.

Despite these changes, funding practices remain largely short-term even in protracted and recurrent crisis contexts. As agreed in the Grand Bargain commitment on enhanced quality funding, longer-term, multi-year planning and funding can highlight linkages between humanitarian, development, and peace programming that are fundamental to reducing humanitarian needs.

In this session, two implementers of USAID/BHA-funded humanitarian activities will discuss how longer-term humanitarian funding can meet immediate needs while intentionally sequencing, layering, and integrating development and social cohesion activities to promote resilience and peace. They will share practical examples of how they sequence interventions internally and layer their efforts with those of external actors. Implementing partners of both humanitarian and development activities are encouraged to participate, share their own experiences, and engage with the speakers.

This session will be hosted by Mette Karlsen, Head of Unit-Cash-based Interventions, UNHCR Jordan. Speakers include:
– Anthony Akwenyu, Chief of Party, Collective Action for Resilience Building, NRC South Sudan
– Sadou Soumana, Senior Economic Recovery and Development Technical Advisor, IRC Niger

*This event will be in English with French interpretation*