Podcasts about new humanitarian

After a decade of fighting jihadist groups in the Sahel – and losing – isn't it time for governments to try dialogue? Speaking about her research project Negotiating with Islamist and jihadi armed groups: practices, discourses and mechanisms across Asia and Africa, Laura Berlingozzi tells What's Unsaid host Obi Anyadike she's detected a “timid openness” from the region's military juntas for dialogue. What's Unsaid is a podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ What happens when a stateless activist sits down with one of the UN refugee agency's highest-ranking officials? What if they had the chance to tell him what it's like to lose everything, to have to depend on aid, and what it would take for refugees to have more agency? Can the decisions he makes in Geneva affect the lives of refugees on the other side of the world? And could their conversation change how those decisions are made? Listen in as Rohingya refugee rights activist Hafsar Tameesuddin and UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Raouf Mazou candidly discuss what needs to change in refugee response, and who has the power to change it.  ___ Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube, or search “The New Humanitarian” in your favourite podcast app. You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website. Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line ‘POWER SHIFT”.

Daylight abductions of permanent residents. Mass deportations with no due process. Homelessness at a record high. Outbreaks of previously eliminated childhood diseases. Sounds like a humanitarian crisis could be unfolding in the US. “When is the UN going to come in?” asks Carlos Menchaca, a legislator, activist, organiser, and former New York City council member.  What's Unsaid is a podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

How did Sudanese revolutionaries organize neighborhood and resistance committees to resist state and non-state violence? What are some of the principles underpinning their worldview? What can we learn from them?For episode 188 of The Fire These Times, Elia Ayoub is joined by Sudanese journalist Eiad Husham to talk about his piece "revolutionary aid in Sudan" for The New Internationalist and try and answer those questions.The Fire These Times is a proud member of⁠⁠ ⁠From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective⁠⁠⁠. This episode was first released on the FTP Patreon page. Please consider supporting us directly there and you'll get early access to all of the FTP podcasts, exclusive content, an invitation to join our monthly hangout as well as our ongoing movie club on Lebanese cinema - and more! You can also help by leaving us a review wherever you listen to podcasts and telling your friends and enemies about us.Other FTP projects: From The Periphery Podcast, The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠, ⁠Politically Depressed⁠, ⁠Obscuristan⁠, and ⁠Antidote Zine⁠.For more:Elia Ayoub is on ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠Mastodon⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and blogs at ⁠Hauntologies.net⁠ Eiad is on X and writes for The Internationalist, The New Humanitarian, Geeska and 3ayin among others.The Fire These Times is on Bluesky,⁠ IG⁠ and⁠ YouTube⁠ and has a⁠ ⁠website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠From The Periphery is on⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠⁠, ⁠Bluesky⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠, and has a⁠ website⁠⁠Transcriptions: Transcriptions are done by⁠ Antidote Zine⁠ and will be published on⁠ The Fire These Times' transcript archive⁠.Credits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, sound editor, episode design), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics). Original photo by Ela Yokes for The New Internationalist.

Lydia Poole discusses "The Big Humanitarian Rethink," a digital consultation she launched with Ben Parker to capture diverse perspectives on reforming the humanitarian system during a period of unprecedented funding cuts. The consultation revealed two distinct camps: "reimaginers" who advocate for radical transformation addressing power imbalances, and "improvers" who prefer incremental change while preserving humanitarian principles. Despite these differences, both groups agree on the need to maintain some international crisis response capabilities. As the humanitarian sector navigates this watershed moment, Lydia emphasizes the urgent need to make difficult choices about what to preserve while avoiding a disorderly collapse of vital services. This conversation offers rare insight into a sector at a crossroads, balancing immediate operational demands with the opportunity for meaningful, long-overdue reform.Today's GuestLydia Poole is a humanitarian financing expert with over 15 years of experience. Along with Ben Parker, Lydia co-created "The Big Humanitarian Rethink" citizen consultation, an initiative to collect diverse perspectives on humanitarian system reform following recent funding cuts. Lydia previously wrote an article published by The New Humanitarian addressing the risks of leaving key decisions about humanitarian system reform to a small group of leaders with vested interests.You'll LearnHow Lydia and Ben launched a digital consultation to give voice to diverse perspectives on humanitarian reformThe major divide between "reimaginers" and "improvers" in approaches to humanitarian reformWhat both camps agree on despite their different visions for the futureHow the humanitarian system is responding to the current funding crisisWhy traditional humanitarian financing models may be at odds with localization effortsThe common ground that could unite different perspectives on reformResourcesThe Big Humanitarian Rethink citizen consultation Find Lydia Poole on LinkedIn"Improving or Reimagining? Mapping key narratives on the Future of Development Cooperation," by Prof. dr. Sara Kinsbergen & Dr. Zunera Rana, Radboud University, April 2025.

Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ In the second episode of Power Shift, we continue our candid conversation between Grand Bargain ambassador Michael Köhler, formerly a senior leader of the EU's humanitarian aid arm, and Nadine Saba, founder of a Lebanese grassroots NGO. As the global humanitarian system faces unprecedented challenges – from donor cuts to accusations of colonial structures – they explore whether the system can truly be reformed, and if reform is enough. Saba speaks passionately from the front lines, sharing how communities are losing faith in a system that often delivers only "Band-Aid" solutions while failing to address – and often instigating – root causes. Köhler acknowledges the system's shortcomings while defending its foundational merits. “Would anything be better without the Grand Bargain? I think no. Would it be worse without the Grand Bargain? I believe, yes,” Köhler says of the major humanitarian reform process, “because we wouldn't have this kind of platform that reminds us [of] the need to get better, to reform, to open up, to share power.” Saba, who represents Global South NGOs, expressed doubt that there was sufficient will for the Grand Bargain to live up to its potential. "When things get difficult, people go back to old habits,” she argued Saba. “I do see that change is incremental. But I fear that it's getting so much incremental that it's not happening.” Their conversation reveals a fundamental tension between Köhler's technical approach to humanitarian response, and Saba's close-range exposure to the politics of crises. As this experiment in dialogue came to a close, Israel's campaign of airstrikes in Lebanon loomed, lending greater urgency to Saba and Köhler's attempts to come to a common understanding of what it would take to shift power in humanitarian response. ___ Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube, or search “The New Humanitarian” in your favourite podcast app. You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website. Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line ‘POWER SHIFT”.

Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ Michael Köhler and Nadine Saba are just two of the many people tasked with advancing the goals of the Grand Bargain – one of the most ambitious attempts at delivering humanitarian aid more effectively and efficiently.  As such, they often log into the same meetings by videoconference. And yet, Köhler, one of three ambassadors tasked with overseeing the process, and Saba, a Grand Bargain sherpa representing Global South NGOs, have never spoken one-on-one. Until now.  Over the course of seven weeks in mid-2024, Köhler and Saba met over Zoom as part of the Power Shift experiment – one leading high-level meetings from Brussels, and the other contending with real-life humanitarian crises on the ground as both a local organisation leader, and citizen.  Much has changed in the aid sector since these initial meetings, but the spirited, yet convivial, debates between Köhler and Saba have taken on a new urgency as the world reacts to the loss of major Western humanitarian funding. “Are we relinquishing power? Are we keeping it in the hands of the donors?” Saba challenged Köhler, “And if we're keeping it in the hands of the donor, how much are they attuned to what is happening on the fields? Not much.” Listen in to the no-holds-barred conversations between Köhler and Saba as they take on a range of topics, from the yawning gap between headquarters-level decisions and realities in the field, to the dilemma of donor countries' competing obligations to constituents and affected people, to the need to treat the Grand Bargain – and other attempts at change – with a lot more urgency.  ___ Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube, or search “The New Humanitarian” in your favourite podcast app. You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website. Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line ‘POWER SHIFT”.

The Trump administration's aid freeze is a pivotal moment for the humanitarian sector. Veteran aid worker and TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat doesn't believe that simply restoring funding will fix a broken system. While imagining what remaking humanitarianism might look like, he makes a plea: “Let's start shifting the conversation.” The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Listen to more First Person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.

The fallout from the US aid funding freeze continues. In Haiti, one of USAID's largest recipients, could this actually be a moment for optimism?  “My instinctive reaction was, maybe now we can take better care of ourselves,” Haitian anthropologist and aid reform advocate, Isabelle Clérié tells What's Unsaid host, Obi Anyadike.  What's Unsaid is a podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.     

Alasdair speaks to journalist Margot Gibbs about her investigation into a US government-funded PR firm that profiled pesticide scientists. Last autumn, Lighthouse Reports - in collaboration with media partners across Europe - published an investigation into v-Fluence, a US-based PR firm that worked to discredit anti-pesticide scientists and campaigners.Alasdair speaks to Margot Gibbs, a journalist who led the investigation, about its findings and what it reveals about the agro-chemicals lobby.Margot Gibbs is an investigative reporter at Lighthouse Reports focusing on money trails and food systems reporting. Before joining Lighthouse she was a reporter for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and Finance Uncovered.  Audio engineering by Vasko Kostovski.Further reading:'US-funded ‘social network' attacking pesticide critics shuts down after Guardian investigation', The Guardian, February 2025'Poison PR', Lighthouse Reports, September 2024'How the US agrochemical lobby is meddling in the future of Kenyan farming', The New Humanitarian, September 2024'Secret files suggest chemical giant feared weedkiller's link to Parkinson's disease', The Guardian, October 2022'"Monsanto papers": the pesticide giant's war against science', Le Monde, June 2017Merchants of Doubt, Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, 2010Click here to read our investigation into the UK biomass supply chain, or watch a clip from the BBC Newsnight documentary.

People affected by crises, and the people who respond to them, have been calling for change and equity for years, but for every reform pledge in Geneva or New York, there's little movement in Yangon or Juba.   Changing an entire sector is a tall order. But how can an entire system change? In reality, it has to begin with conversations between people.  For months, The New Humanitarian and the Center for Transformational Change sent out invites to people across the power spectrum in the aid world: heads of international humanitarian agencies, environmental, and refugee right activists, you name it. The goal? To set up one-on-one dialogues between people with the power to make decisions and mobilise resources and people who are affected by such decisions. “People need to be listened to, and when they come in with their own stories, that is a form of power,” argues Lina Srivastava, Power Shift's moderator and founder of The Center for Transformational Change. In this first episode of Power Shift, host Melissa Fundira, Adeso executive director Degan Ali, and Srivastava set the stage for conversations to come by highlighting how power inequalities prevent us from addressing humanitarian crises adequately and fairly, and by discussing whether dialogue can ever truly shift power. ___ Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube, or search “The New Humanitarian” in your favourite podcast app. You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website. Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line ‘POWER SHIFT”.  

The term 'decolonising aid' is everywhere. And yet, many decisions about aid are made behind closed doors in the West, and those most affected by aid policies have little power in shaping them. But what if people who are rarely in the same room together sit down and talk? No talking points. No self-censorship. Just open, honest, and moderated one-on-one conversations. Introducing Power Shift: A new podcast from The New Humanitarian and the Center for Transformational Change that presents moderated conversations between decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions. Can they use honest and sustained dialogue to create shared visions for fairer humanitarian responses? Find out on Power Shift. ___ Participants & Interviewees Nadine Saba: Grand Bargain Sherpa; Co-founder and Director of Akkar Network for Development Michael Köhler: Grand Bargain Ambassador Hafsar Tameesuddin: Co-Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN); Rohingya activist and refugee Raouf Mazou: Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR Degan Ali: Executive Director of Adeso Lina Srivastava: Founder of the Center for Transformational Change Production Team Host: Melissa Fundira Moderator: Lina Srivastava Producers: Lina Srivastava, Frederica Boswell, Melissa Fundira Editor: Irwin Loy Theme song: “Chill 2.0” by Barno Sound engineer: Tevin Sudi ___ Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube, or search “The New Humanitarian” in your favourite podcast app. You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website. Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line ‘POWER SHIFT”.

Since the early days of the American west, World War Two, the Cold War, or the war on terror, conflict has been presented in the movies as having two sides: good guys and bad guys. Host Ali Latifi and Idrees Ahmad, a journalism, film, and culture professor, dig into why we brand groups and people in such binary terms – and ask what role Hollywood and the media play in ignoring the complexity of conflict and crisis. What's Unsaid is a podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Can power truly shift in a sector whose origins are rooted in colonialism? If not, what lies beyond the international aid system as we know it? On the sidelines of UNGA 2024, The New Humanitarian, the Center for Transformational Change, and Refugees International convened a panel to examine the systemic limitations of the current global aid architecture, whether it can evolve for the better, and what comes next. SPEAKERS Lina Srivastava, founder of the Center for Transformational Change (moderator) Hanin Ahmed, Emergency Response Room volunteer and Sudanese activist Alex Gray, Director, International Funds at The Center for Disaster Philanthropy Aarathi Krishnan, Founder of Raksha Intelligence Futures and former Head of Strategic Foresight at UNDP Asia-Pacific Nadine Saba, Co-founder and director of Akkar Network for Development-AND; Grand Bargain Sherpa * This panel was part of a doubleheader event on Navigating the Limits and Evolving Role of Humanitarian Aid held on 27 September, 2024.  ____ Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or have your say on Twitter using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.  ____  SHOW NOTES From Gaza to Sudan: The limits and future of humanitarian aid

The New Humanitarian's new CEO, Tammam Aloudat, sits down with our Middle East Editor Annie Slemrod for a special episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism. In a wide-ranging and intimate conversation, Slemrod digs into Tammam's childhood in Damascus, his decades-long career as a humanitarian worker, and his expansive views on decolonising aid. If you want to know more about his vision for The New Humanitarian, listen in.   Guest: Tammam Aloudat, CEO of The New Humanitarian

Eighteen months of war have forced more than 10 million Sudanese from their homes, created the world's largest hunger crisis, and triggered terrible war crimes. It's a conflict in which regional and global powers are dabbling, arming both sides, intent on pursuing their own geopolitical interests. We ask Solomon Dersso, founding director of Amani Africa, what it will take for the fighting to end?  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Ever wondered what daily life in Afghanistan, Syria, and Venezuela have in common? In this episode, What's Unsaid host Ali Latifi, who lives in Kabul, speaks to Reporting Fellows Zeina Shahla in Damascus and Iván Reyes in Caracas to discuss dealing with conflict, threats of violence, and economic instability, while also buying groceries, having coffee with friends, and listening to music. It can make for a strange duality: life is normal - but also not.  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters. 

Wine fraud, migration policy and climate litigation: there's something for everyone this week. Back in April, Switzerland's government lost a groundbreaking European court case and was ordered to rewrite its climate policy. Has it actually done that? No, no it has not. We speak to Geneva-based climate lawyer Seb Duyck about whether Switzerland can be forced to change its tune. We're also talking about offshore migrant detention centres, a full-bodied fraud case and the latest sign that AI is coming for podcasters' jobs.    Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.      Seb is a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. You can follow him on Twitter here.   You can listen to our award-winning 2023 episode about the KlimaSeniorinnen case, 'The Biggest Climate Case That Ever Was', here and find the follow-up interview with Molly Quell here.   This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Swimming in the Dark' by Tomasz Jędrowski, translated by Robert Sudół; 'World Without End' by Christophe Blain and Jean-Marc Jancovici, translated by Edward Gauvin.   Other resources for this episode:    Ursula von der Leyen's letter to EU leaders on migration, October 14, 2024 https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/15/October-2024-EUCO-Migration-letter.pdf  'What is refugee rentierism? An explainer'. The New Humanitarian, August 14, 2024 https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2024/08/14/what-refugee-rentierism-explainer    00:22 Katy's parents made a podcast 06:18 Good Week: Pedro Sánchez 19:48 Bad Week: Rich wine-drinkers 29:14 Interview: Seb Duyck on Switzerland's failed response to the KlimaSeniorinnen ruling 46:26 Inspiration Station: 'Swimming In The Dark' and 'World Without End' 51:02 Happy Ending: Luka Modrić, an inspiration for all people in their late thirties   Producers: Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak  Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina   Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@europeanspodcast.com⁠

Listen to the full episode covering Tekmetric's acquisition of Shopgenie with Sunil Patel and Kieran O'BrienLearn more about the 2024 AAPEX Student ProgramNominate someone or an organization for the AACF Humanitarian Award!Braxton Critcher discusses the recent merger between Tekmetric and Shopgenie, highlighting the benefits of an integrated CRM marketing platform for shop owners. Braxton shares updates on the Apex show, emphasizing its student program to attract top talent to the industry. Lastly, hear the announcement of the AACF's inaugural humanitarian award, recognizing individuals and companies within the automotive aftermarket who have shown exceptional dedication to their communities. Thanks to our sponsor AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching! Schedule your free strategy session here: autofixautoshopcoaching.com

In this episode, Melissa Pitotti is joined by Sarah Noble, Head of Global Engagement at the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. Sarah shares her unique perspective on peace-building, storytelling, and how inner development can create outer change. Together, they discuss:The history and mission of the Caux Palace as a gathering place for change-makers.Sarah's journey from working at The New Humanitarian to her current role at the Caux Foundation.The importance of storytelling in peace and conflict resolution.Practical ways to incorporate quiet time and self-reflection into your life.How the Inner Development Goals framework helps accelerate progress to tackle global challenges.A preview of the System Changer Sleepover retreat, a space for women in the humanitarian sector to connect and collaborate on systems change and workforce well-being.About Sarah NobleSarah is originally from Canada and has lived in Switzerland for more than half her life. She has dedicated her career to building a better world through storytelling and peacebuilding. In her TEDx talk, Storytelling is Our Real-Life Superpower, she highlights the power of stories to address the existential challenges of our time. With over 20 years of experience in strategic communications, fundraising, and partnerships, Sarah co-founded and curates the Peace Talks at Interpeace. She has overseen more than 20 editions across eight countries and worked with over 200 speakers. Previously, she served as Director of External Relations at The New Humanitarian, leading its rebranding and expanding its funding base. Sarah holds an MA in International Affairs and volunteers as the Country Chair of Global Dignity for Switzerland.Key Quotes:"Embodying change is about being the change you want to see, and leading from the heart, not just the mind.""Quiet time is not a luxury—it's an essential practice for inner and outer peace.""We all need to be like the hummingbird, doing the best that we can, even when the world seems overwhelming."Connect with Sarah and the Caux Foundation:Website: caux.chLearn more about their summer forums, events, and how to host your own gathering at the Caux Palace.Mentioned in this Episode:Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her efforts in sustainable development, democracy, and peace. The hummingbird story is a beautiful story she often shared to illustrate the importance of individual action in the face of seemingly overwhelming challenges.Here is a recording of her telling of it.PeaceTalks - website The New Humanitarian - websiteInner Development Goals (IDG) - websiteSystem Changer Sleepover – contact Melissa Pitotti on LinkedIn for more details

When violent gangs moved into her neighbourhood in April, Haitian journalist and former UN official Monique Clesca left the Caribbean nation. She returned home a few months later, and in this episode, she describes what daily life is now like. “We are in more than a crisis situation”, she says. “The gangs are at war with us”. The ongoing turmoil in Haiti is featured in The New Humanitarian's annual list of ten crises that demand your attention now, which highlights places in the world where needs are rising, aid budgets have been cut or are insufficient, and where people feel forgotten by the international community. Over the coming months, our First Person series will feature aid workers and people affected by the crises on this year's list.

“We came mainly seeking safety, seeking to live a decent life. But then we found another war” Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. This episode tells a story of the 15,000 Sudanese people living in Egypt's Masaken Osman area. When the war broke out in April 2023, these tower blocks on the dusty outskirts of Cairo became home to a group of refugees. Meet them as they gather to discuss their current challenges and collective efforts to overcome them. The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.

Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Zeina Shahla, a reporting fellow with The New Humanitarian based in Damascus expresses what it is like to live in the shadow of war. With everyone in Syria living on edge since the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated last month in Tehran, Shahla worries if a regional war is going to break out.  The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.  

Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Ali Latifi, The New Humanitarian's Asia Editor and co-host of the What's Unsaid podcast, marks the anniversary of the creation of the Taliban's Islamic Emirate in his home country, Afghanistan.  Three years on, the country is still in the throes of a humanitarian crisis, with 23.7 million people in need of assistance. Latifi says: “We're in a situation full of paradoxes”. He paints a picture of how traders, TikTokers, and the Taliban co-exist, while noting: “In the Islamic Emirate, everything seems fine – until it's not”. The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.  

Our First Person narratives dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Mahmoud Shalabi describes the difficult reality of life in his home, Beit Lahia. When the Israeli military issued orders last October for 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate their homes in the north of Gaza, Shalabi refused to leave. “I believed that remaining in my home would be a form of resistance,” he says. Now, nearly 11 months later, the Deputy Director for programs for the UK-based NGO, Medical Aid for Palestinians, explains why he is ‘exhausted'.  The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.  

Our First Person narratives aim to dig into the humanity of humanitarian challenges. In this episode, Yusuf Sa'adu, a shopkeeper in Warawa in Nigeria's Kano state, points out that “whoever has abundant water has wealth”. He shares how water scarcity made him lose out on education and still impacts personal relationships. “If you are experiencing water stress, you will not be able to do a lot of things”, Yusuf explains.  The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster – placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org.  

*This episode was originally published on November 9, 2023. Palestinian peace activist Nivine Sandouka discusses the difficult way forward for building trust between Israelis and Palestinians. Hosted by Irwin Loy. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Iyad Agha, a Syrian now living in Germany, has been working on his country's humanitarian crisis for nearly a decade. The United Nations itself recently said that “Syria is in danger of being forgotten”, while noting that the country is facing the highest levels of humanitarian need since the start of its 13-year war. Some 7.2 million people have been forcibly displaced inside the country, and another 5.1 million are refugees in neighbouring countries. Türkiye is host to 3.3 million refugees who are increasingly subjected to harassment, not to mention arbitrary arrest, detention, and deportation by authorities. In this First Person account, he narrates his experiences as an aid worker in Türkiye, and laments how many times Syrians have had to rebuild their lives. The continuing conflict in Syria is featured in The New Humanitarian's annual list of ten crises that demand your attention now, which highlights places in the world where needs are rising, aid budgets have been cut or are insufficient, and where people feel forgotten by the international community. Over the coming months, our First Person series will feature aid workers and people affected by the crises on this year's list.  

*This episode was originally published on September 27, 2023.  Aid worker and psychologist Imogen Wall tells host Ali Latifi that the way humanitarian organisations are run, can do as much damage to aid workers' mental health as being confronted with war, hunger, and rights abuses.  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable truths around the world's conflicts and disasters.     

When crises hit, a host of questions arise, among them: Who needs humanitarian aid? How much? Who delivers it? And who has the power to make all of those decisions? How aid agencies and the media choose to frame this information doesn't always help. For the last year, researchers at ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) have been trying to understand narratives and the role they play in humanitarian response and policy. What they're finding so far is that human stories are more powerful than data when it comes to influencing change in the sector, and yet humanitarians don't take their role as storytellers seriously enough. In this bonus episode, we get a snapshot of HPG's ongoing exploration of humanitarian narratives from one of its main researchers, and we bring together a local organisation founder, a researcher, and a journalist to discuss the power humanitarians have to shape the stories that affect crisis response. Guests: John Bryant, research fellow at ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group; Leen Fouad, research officer at ODI's Humanitarian Policy Group; Mohamed Ali Diini, founder of Iftiin Foundation and chair of the Shaqo Platform; Patrick Gathara, senior editor for inclusive storytelling at The New Humanitarian. ____ SHOW NOTES Understanding the role of narratives in humanitarian policy change | ODI What is a humanitarian crisis, really? | Rethinking Humanitarianism Gaza: a litmus test for the humanitarian sector's commitment to decolonisation? | ODI How do you break the mould around international aid? Try genuine trust  ____ Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or have your say on Twitter using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

Exiled from a country plagued by decades of civil war, allegations of genocide and ethnic cleansing, and limits on basic democratic rights, Maung Zarni, an academic, human rights activist, and Nobel Peace prize nominee, explains why the Rohingya cannot rely on protection from within the country. “I'm Burmese myself,” he tells host Ali Latifi. “We have proven incapable of maintaining peace and stability in our own country for the last 75 years”.  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Viewed from Western aid capitals, the international humanitarian system is overwhelmingly secular. But for much of the rest of the world, people's lived realities are very different. As Amjad Mohamed Saleem, a development and peacebuilding entrepreneur tells host Obi Anyadike, being a person of faith in the aid industry is a “dynamic struggle”. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

One and a half million people have been uprooted by the conflict between the M23 rebel group and the national army in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many are now living with host families, little-heralded frontline responders who play a central role in relief efforts across the region. Nicholas Bahati Ndoolé, a humanitarian worker based in the city of Goma, is one such host. In this First Person essay, he shares the many challenges his family faces, and explains why he feels he must shelter his relatives.  The continuing conflict in the DRC is featured in The New Humanitarian's annual list of ten crises that demand your attention now, which highlights places in the world where needs are rising, aid budgets have been cut or are insufficient, and where people feel forgotten by the international community. Over the coming months, our First Person series will feature aid workers and people affected by the crises on this year's list.

India's incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of hate speech against Muslims during the election campaign. But Harsh Mander, a writer and peace worker, tells host Ali Latifi that Muslims are being mistreated and discriminated against at all levels of civil and political society. With results looming, he warns that Modi's India is starting to head in the direction of Nazi Germany.  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

After 25 years as an international humanitarian worker, Susana Raffalli returned to Venezuela only to find herself at the centre of a humanitarian, political, and economic crisis in her own backyard. She describes the devastating impact that 10 years of crisis has had on Venezuelans and argues that the Latin American country has been largely neglected by the international aid sector. The ongoing turmoil in Venezuela is featured in The New Humanitarian's annual list of ten crises that demand your attention now, which highlights places in the world where needs are rising, aid budgets have been cut or are insufficient, and where people feel forgotten by the international community. Over the coming months, our First Person series will feature aid workers and people affected by the crises on this year's list.

Humanitarian organisations often push an image of refugees as passive victims in need of help. But refugees themselves say they have voices and need to be listened to. Refugee advocate Jean Marie Ishimwe tells host Obi Anyadike why it's time for the refugee-led organisation, or RLO, ‘revolution'. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.  

A visit to Inzargai refugee registration centre in Afghanistan's Kandahar province prompts host Ali Latifi to explore how governments around the world are weaponising anti-refugee and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Economic and security “frustrations are absolutely real”, Professor Muhammad Zaman, director of the Center on Forced Displacement at Boston University, tells him. “The outsider is an easy and convenient way to let some of that steam out, without really solving the problems.” What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Today's First Person story comes from Moussa Kondo, executive director of the Sahel Institute. Moussa recounts how drastically life has changed for everyday people in Mali, where years of conflict, climate change, and political isolation have left more than 7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The worsening political instability in the Sahel is featured in The New Humanitarian's annual list of ten crises that demand your attention now, which highlights places in the world where needs are rising, aid budgets have been cut or are insufficient, and where people feel forgotten by the international community. Over the coming months, our First Person series will feature aid workers and people affected by the crises on this year's list.

Young girls and women are leading the way in driving systemic change, and supporting their communities, but a new report, titled “We need to know the humanitarian sector stands with us”, shows the extent to which they're being overlooked and underfunded – and makes a plea directly to the sector to change this. The report's co-author Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah tells host Obi Anyadike that “a real revolution” is required. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Sandra Cuffe is a freelance journalist based in Guatemala. Originally from Vancouver, she has lived in Central America for 15 of the past 20 years. Her work has been published by Al Jazeera, LA Times, The Guardian, The Intercept, Mongabay, The Washington Post, The New Humanitarian, and many other outlets. Sandra covers human rights, politics, social movements, migration and environmental issues. She has filed stories from all seven Central American countries as well as Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Canada. Host Sylvia Richardson speaks to her about Former army chief Manuel Benedicto Lucas Garcia who is being tried for genocide and crimes against humanity in Guatemala in the 1980's The importance that the families who suffered during these years see justice and the importance of international solidarity. Support Latin Waves by becoming a member for as little as $1 per month. https://latinwavesmedia.com/wordpress/

Israel has continued to choose violence, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, an independent journalist of Palestinian descent, tells host Ali Latifi that “this is not just a humanitarian crisis. It's a global moral crisis.” What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

Today's First Person story comes from Fatma Jaffar, a Yemeni humanitarian worker and the policy and advocacy lead for Oxfam Yemen. Fatma describes the dire humanitarian situation in her country and how Yemenis have kept each other alive throughout nine years of war. The ongoing conflict in Yemen is featured in The New Humanitarian's annual list of ten crises that demand your attention now, which highlights places in the world where needs are rising, aid budgets are cut or insufficient, and where people feel forgotten by the international community. Over the coming months, our First Person series will feature aid workers and people affected by the crises on this year's list. On the nine-year anniversary of the war in Yemen, The New Humanitarian also launched The Yemen Listening Project, which highlights stories from more than 100 Yemenis answering one question: “How has the war impacted your life? The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster - placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org  

We've all complained about office politics… someone was able to influence a decision or get a project over the line through the shear force of their personality or relationships. But what are we really complaining about? Power. In this episode, Ebele Okobi, CEO of The New Humanitarian, discusses the dynamics of power: challenging it, finding it, using it, and sharing it. This conversation takes you through the importance of rest not just as a form of self-care but as a powerful act of resistance. If you're feeling off course, Ebele's deep wisdom and challenging insights will point you in the right direction."My interest in power is, how do I bring people with me? How do I use this power to create a more radically loving world?" - Ebele Okobi00:31 Intro 02:06 What is power? 04:05 Developing personal power 08:21 Power through platforming and sharing 11:00 Hire, Fire, Boss! 13:56 Power sharing through team building 16:54 Joy and community 21:30 Rest and the sabbatical 28:35 The New Humanitarian 33:18 Reflections and outro You can connect with Ebele on LinkedIn and Instagram.  Mentioned in this episode: The Igbo have no king 2022 Venice Biennale Chinedu Valentine Okobi Sabbatical ProgramThe Future Plate (African & Caribbean Catering)Loophole of Retreat symposiumFollow Unserious in your podcast app, at unserious.com, and on Instagram and Threads at @unserious.fun.

As Yemen's war continues, a new project by The New Humanitarian shares personal testimonies that show how the devastating conflict has changed life for millions, while the rest of the world wasn't paying attention. And how important it is that we keep listening.  Nuha al-Junaid, project coordinator for the The Yemen Listening Project, tells her own story of war and migration with guest host and Middle East Editor, Annie Slemrod.  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

For nearly 40 episodes, Rethinking Humanitarianism has been hosted by Heba Aly. But this time around, Aly joins the podcast as a guest. Since 2007, Aly has worked with The New Humanitarian, and IRIN News before, in many different roles. It's a journey she started as an intern, and recently finished as the CEO. In this season finale, Aly joins host Melissa Fundira to reflect on her career and the evolution of humanitarian journalism, how the humanitarian sector has (or hasn't) changed, and which episode is inspiring her next move. She also fields questions from colleagues and podcast guests.  Guest: Heba Aly, former CEO of The New Humanitarian ____ Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or have your say on Twitter using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism. ____ SHOW NOTES CEO Heba Aly to step down from The New Humanitarian The New Humanitarian welcomes new CEO Ebele Okobi SOME OF HEBA'S FAVOURITE RETHINKING HUMANITARIANISM EPISODES COVID-19 and BLM: A new era for aid? An interview with the UN's humanitarian chief ‘Give us the money': Aid as reparations What science fiction teaches us about imagining a better world Is ‘decolonised aid' an oxymoron? What could an alternative to the UN look like?

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on a sea corridor for aid to Gaza.

A project to turn Kenya's refugee camps - some of the largest in the world - into self-reliant communities where refugees can live, work, and set up businesses among their local hosts was recently launched. Host Obi Anyadike asks Victor Nyamori, a researcher and adviser for Refugee and Migrants' Rights at Amnesty International, what he thinks of this idea, dubbed the Shirika Plan. Given his work on legal protection for Kenya's refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, is he optimistic that it will improve their lives?   What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.   

A Mercy Corps staff member describes life in the sliver of southern Gaza where 1.2 million people are sheltering in desperate conditions.   The author's name is being withheld for safety given the security situation in Gaza. Their First Person essay is read out by The New Humanitarian's Freddie Boswell.   This essay was written before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to prepare plans for a ground invasion of Rafah and for the ‘evacuation' of the population from the area. With nowhere left for people to flee in Gaza, there is growing international alarm about the humanitarian impact of an assault.   The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected by conflict and disaster - placing them at the centre of the conversations about the policies and events that shape their lives. Find more first-person stories at TheNewHumanitarian.org    

Medical missions are a lifeline to stressed health systems, usually in developing and post colonial states, but they can also be caught up in, and manipulated by, the politics of the powerful. Host Ali Latifi asks Dr. Zaher Sahloul, president and co-founder of MedGlobal, a medical NGO, whether dismissal over medical neutrality is getting worse. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conversations around the world's conflicts and disasters.  

A humanitarian crisis has unfolded in eastern Libya, after a major storm battered the region and destroyed two dams. About 10,000 people are missing and more than 5,000 are confirmed dead, after floods wiped away entire neighborhoods in the city of Derna. And, "The Listening Project," launched by The New Humanitarian, is inviting Yemenis from across the country and in the diaspora to talk about their own experiences of war and their daily lives. Also, later this month, Slovakia holds a parliamentary election that will have ramifications far beyond its borders. If the opinion polls are correct, it would mark the return of Robert Fico: a man who models himself on Viktor Orbán, Hungary's “alt-right” leader. Plus, China's tobacco problem.