When disaster meets conflict: lessons on disaster governance and humanitarian action

Online Conference: When Disaster meets Conflict

Lessons on Disaster Governance and Humanitarian Action

When disasters happen in a conflict-setting, responses involve many state and non-state actors that try to reach affected populations. Who are these actors and do they work together? Who can affect communities' trust to work for their interests? How are politics interfering in their actions?

These were some of the questions which directed research during the five-year research project When Disaster Meets Conflict. The research focused on the nexus between humanitarian aid and disaster governance. Case studies were done in high-conflict settings in Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Yemen; in low-intensity conflict settings in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Myanmar, and in post-conflict settings in Nepal, Sierra Leone, and Haiti.

The International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam has the honor to invite you to the Online Conference ‘When Disaster meets Conflict: Lessons on Disaster Governance and Humanitarian Action’. During the conference, the main findings will be presented and discussed with stakeholders that are active in the Disaster-Conflict nexus.

Program

The conference comprises three workshops (limited spaces) and one public webinar.

Workshops (limited seats available)

During these online working sessions, the researchers of the project will discuss in-depth specific findings with a selected group of practitioners.

Tuesday 13 October | 10:00-11:30 CEST | Workshop 1: Coordination, decision-making, and targeting

• In conflict-affected settings, decision-making is not always decided upon needs alone and coordination can be challenging. How does this work in practice? How are disaster-related actions decided and coordinated? These - and other findings - will be discussed in this working session.
• Register for this workshop here

Tuesday 13 October | 12:00-13:30 CEST | Workshop 2: Localization

• The localization of disaster response has mainly focused on transferring funds to local NGOs, but not on addressing the challenges of 'shifting the power' and the diversity of local actors. Therefore, the question remains: how is the localization of humanitarian governance socially negotiated in practice? This - and other findings - will be discussed in this working session.
• Register for this workshop here

Wednesday 14 October | 10:00-11:30 CEST | Workshop 3: (De) politicization and humanitarian advocacy

• In conflict settings, politics permeate disaster response and negotiations taking place between the multitude of involved actors. Yet, the politicization of the response is not always done in the open, making it difficult to address. This - and other findings - will be discussed in this working session.
• Register for this workshop here

Webinar

During the webinar key findings of the research project will be presented by the researchers and discussed with stakeholders. You can register for this webinar via this link.

Wednesday 14 October | 14:00-15:30 CEST | When Disaster meets Conflict: Lessons on Disaster Governance and Humanitarian Action

Register for the webinar here

Presentations by the researchers:

• Prof. Dr. Thea Hilhorst
• Roanne van Voorst
• Isabelle Desportes
• Rodrigo Mena
• Samantha Melis

Panel discussion with stakeholders:

• Flora Bawi Nei Mawi, Executive Committee Member, Community Care for Emergency Response and Rehabilitation (Myanmar).
• Saskia Carusi, External Relations Officer United Nation Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) regional office for the Americas and the Caribbean.
• Mihir R. Bhatt, Director, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India.
• Prof. dr. Thea Hilhorst, professor Humanitarian Aid, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The organization of this Online Conference is supported by the Platform for Humanitarian Knowledge Exchange in the Netherlands: KUNO.