The New Humanitarian

*This episode was originally published on November 23, 2023. Human rights lawyer and war crimes investigator Yasmin Sooka joins host Ali Latifi in a conversation about using the word "genocide", and why language matters – in the middle of a crisis, and in the aftermath of mass violence. What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable co...

*This episode was originally published on January 11, 2023.  Time and again, guests on this season of Rethinking Humanitarianism have called for systemic changes to the humanitarian system and global governance – from alternatives to the UN to revolutionised global climate financing. But how can you imagine something you've never seen before, while being grounded in the realities of today? In many...

Refugees International, The New Humanitarian, and Asylum Access hosted an event on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva for a candid conversation about how to truly include refugees in the policy decisions that shape their lives. SPEAKERS Sana Mustafa, Asylum Access CEO (moderator) Ana Maria Diez, President of Coalición por Venezuela and Fellow at Refugees International Matai Muon,...

From new conflicts in Gaza and Sudan , to flood disasters in Libya and East Africa, to earthquakes in Morocco , Syria , and Türkiye , humanitarian crises around the world drove more than 350 million people to need help in 2023. While funding to address those needs reached record levels, so too did the funding gap. Only a third of the $57 billion that humanitarians appealed for this year was actual...

Could talking about aid diversion actually help people who need aid?  Ashley Jackson is the co-director of the Center on Armed Groups and a former aid worker. She has researched aid diversion in Afghanistan, Somalia, and elsewhere, and joins host Irwin Loy for a candid conversation.  What's Unsaid is a bi-weekly podcast by The New Humanitarian, where we explore open secrets and uncomfortable conve...

Ala Majid Khayrullhah, a medical student and climate activist, shares what he witnessed in Libya a month after the devastating floods.  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 on TheN...

Human rights lawyer and war crimes investigator Yasmin Sooka joins host Ali Latifi in a conversation about using the word "genocide", and why language matters – in the middle of a crisis, and in the aftermath of mass violence. 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.  

Even before Israel's current siege, 80% of Gazans relied on international humanitarian aid for survival, according to the UN .   But under international law, it's the occupying power's responsibility to provide food, shelter, medicine, and other essential needs.   Have aid agencies historically let Israel off the hook by failing to challenge the very thing that creates the need for aid in the firs...

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.  

An anonymous aid worker reflects on their time in Palestine as they watch Israel's bombardment and siege of Gaza and the escalating violence in the West Bank. Today's First Person essay is read out by The New Humanitarian's Elise Campbell-Bates. 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...

Palestinian-American writer and journalist Mariam Barghouti joins host Ali Latifi to discuss how both mainstream media and aid policy help muffle Palestinian perspectives.   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.  

It has been six months since a military conflict in Sudan began claiming thousands of lives and triggered, according to the UN, the world's fastest growing displacement crisis. As international NGOs and the UN struggle to access certain areas, decentralised mutual aid networks – known as emergency response rooms (ERRs) – have stepped in to fill the vacuum.  In acknowledgement of this reality,  don...

Conflict analyst Hisham Al-Omeisy joins host Irwin Loy to explain how war has become a profitable business in Yemen, even as millions of Yemenis struggle.  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.  

What's Unsaid is our new bi-weekly podcast exploring the open secrets and uncomfortable truths that often surround the world's conflicts and disasters, hosted by staff editors Irwin Loy and Ali Latifi. A podcast by The New Humanitarian .  

Menaal Munshey shares how dubious blasphemy accusations in Pakistan make people feel unsafe and lead to vigilante violence. Today's First Person essay is written and read out by Menaal Munshey.  The New Humanitaria n 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 th...

Aid worker and psychologist Imogen Wall joins host Ali Latifi to discuss how 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.  

What is a humanitarian crisis, as it's commonly understood? What's the historical weight of that term? What happens if we change our common understanding of it? It may seem like a game of semantics, but the answers to those questions are more consequential than we may realise, because they reveal something deeper about who we believe will perpetually be an underclass, what's deserving of an urgent...

The UN overstates its claims of climate neutrality and purchases junk carbon credits that do little to cut emissions. This is revealed in a new investigation by The New Humanitarian and Mongabay . Investigations reporter Jacob Goldberg explains why the UN's climate neutrality claims are problematic, how the investigation evolved, and what the next steps for the UN may be. What's Unsaid is a bi-wee...

If the aim is to see real change in Afghanistan, shouldn't the Taliban be included in the conversation?  In this first episode of What's Unsaid, we speak to Afghan human rights defender Madina Mahbobi, who says it's time for the international community to start listening to local voices like hers that are calling for increased engagement with the Taliban. Despite being roundly condemned after maki...

Laura, a Colombian refugee living in Ecuador explains why narratives around migration in Latin America need to change. In her essay , Laura shares her experience of how people displaced within Latin America are overlooked as the dominant media narrative is about those heading north for the United States. In order to protect their security, the author uses a pseudonym, Laura, and her essay is read...

A refugee in Malawi shares how their treatment makes them worry about their security and feel like they don't belong. Today's essay was written by a refugee living in Malawi. In order to protect their security, the author's name is not public. Therefore, their essay is read out by The New Humanitarian's Senior Editor for Inclusive Storytelling, Patrick Gathara.  The New Humanitarian aims to amplif...

Matai Muon shares how policies suppress the economic potential of refugees, which forces many into a situation of dependency instead of allowing them to contribute to the societies they're currently living in. Today's essay was written and read out by Matai Muon. He is a South Sudanese refugee. Although he is currently studying in the United Kingdom, this essay was recorded from his home country o...

San Thai Shin is a Rohingya researcher and volunteer teacher in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. In his essay , San looks at how restrictive policies suppress refugees' economic potential, forcing many into a situation of dependency rather than allowing them to contribute to the societies they live in.  The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refugees, asylum seekers, and people affected b...

Hala al-Karib shares how the days unfolded when the violence started in Sudan, and what some of the root causes are according to her, including the failings of the international community. Today's essay was written and read out by Hala al-Karib. She is the regional director of SIHA - the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa.  The New Humanitarian aims to amplify the voices of refug...

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. Today's essay was written and read out by Liban Mahamad. He is a freelance journalist and writer from Somalia. In his essay, Liban looks at the limitations of international a...