If not (US) aid, then what? | Event

02/24/25 • 71 min

The US aid freeze has exposed not only the fragility of humanitarian funding but also longstanding dependencies, vulnerabilities, and power dynamics that demand a broader reckoning. This event will explore the urgent need for structural change, seeking clarity and ideas amid the chaos.

In what we hope will be one conversation of many, we reimagine the future of humanitarian aid in an era of mounting challenges and transformative opportunities.

SPEAKERS

The event was moderated by TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat, who was joined by:

Deborah Doane – Author of The INGO Problem: Power, privilege and renewal.
Dustin Barter – Acting Director of the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI.
Dr. Lata Narayanaswamy – Associate Professor in the Politics of Global Development, University of Leeds.
Nidhi Bouri – Former Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID.
Stella Naw – Kachin human rights activist.

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Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or have your say on our socials using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

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In what we hope will be one conversation of many, we reimagine the future of humanitarian aid in an era of mounting challenges and transformative opportunities.

SPEAKERS

The event was moderated by TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat, who was joined by:

Deborah Doane – Author of The INGO Problem: Power, privilege and renewal.
Dustin Barter – Acting Director of the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI.
Dr. Lata Narayanaswamy – Associate Professor in the Politics of Global Development, University of Leeds.
Nidhi Bouri – Former Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID.
Stella Naw – Kachin human rights activist.

____

Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or have your say on our socials using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

____

Previous Episode

Is Haiti better off without aid? | What’s Unsaid

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.

Next Episode

Why reforming humanitarianism isn't enough | First Person

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.