UN emergency aid outlook ahead of the 2016 WHS summit.
UK politician Stephen O'Brien will take office as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) in May at a time of challenges and change. Relief workers face hostile environments in Syria, Iraq, Sudan and other countries where international humanitarian law holds little sway. Meanwhile, modernisation trends have transformed delivery of emergency aid. Humanitarian leaders are anxious, given a 4 billion dollar funding gap and preparations for the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), to be convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May 2016 in Istanbul.
Failure to bridge the humanitarian funding gap risks entrenching low growth and lasting instability in the Middle East and Africa.
Relief agencies will need to adapt diplomatic strategies and business practices in light of defiance of international humanitarian law.
Humanitarian actors need to cooperate to achieve their 'resilience' goal in the context of climate change and urbanisation.
