I predicted 2018 would offer hope for Syrians – but I was painfully wrong

There is no moral justification for levelling apartment blocks, hospitals or schools to the ground in the name of combatting terror. There must be accountability for disproportionate civilian casualties, even in the age of international terrorism.

Afghan electorate: Basic needs must be met before political progress can be ensured

Donald Trump has a unique opportunity to help the Yemen crisis

Congo will be Africa’s mega-crisis in 2018

Mounting political instability and a massive humanitarian crisis are set to collide next year in DRC, creating a mega-crisis on the continent.

Will 2018 be the year of return to Syria?

Today, in government buildings across Europe and the Middle East, officials debate policies that would return millions of Syrian refugees to their war-ravaged land. Displaced families sit in refugee tents weighing up the risk of returning home, too; the burden weighing heavier on their shoulders.

Freeze Afghan deportations: the war is back and worsening

Forcing millions of Afghans back to a country in turmoil could destabilize the whole region.

How to give effectively (and why it is a good idea)

I found myself in the middle of the desert, standing in a white sea of shacks. Walls encircled the camp and sand swirled rhythmically outside, like a guard patrolling the perimeter. This was the Zaatari refugee camp— four kilometres of land housing 70,000 refugees.

How to strangle a nation

Forget the World Cup, Trump and Brexit. Yemen’s man-made starvation, silently taking hold in the midst of crossfire, will be the world’s biggest news story in 2018.

Fighting violent extremism – humanitarians beware

Communities in some of the most dangerous corners of the world will be left without lifesaving aid because of countering violent extremism agendas. Millions of people living in countries facing famine may be hardest hit.

Attacking the lifesavers

Today, Tuesday, the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK’s programme Brennpunkt airs an important documentary on aid workers under assault.

Congo’s wake up call

Goma, 25 October 2017 (IPS) – Late last week the humanitarian community activated a Level 3 emergency for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This trigger in the global humanitarian system is seldom used, and only after serious deliberation by the top echelons of the UN system.

South Sudan: Seize this chance for peace

The United Kingdom and Norway must step up to help end South Sudan’s war before the window of opportunity slams shut, argues Jan Egeland.

Forcing displaced Nigerians may worsen crisis

Forcing displaced Nigerians to return home now is likely to worsen a fragile humanitarian crisis, argues Jan Egeland.

The UN's roulette game with Colombia

The United Nations has picked a dangerous time to pull aid resources out of Colombia. In doing so, it threatens to unravel the fragile peace the country has fought so hard for.

In the line of fire

We cannot tolerate our colleagues being targeted deliberately or harmed indiscriminately. The system must change

Nigeria's ticking time bomb

In the dusty arid town of Dikwa, tens of thousands of Nigerians queue for hours in sweltering 40-degree heat for water. Fatuma is one of 100,000 people displaced in the Borno State town, the epicentre of Nigeria’s conflict. She sifts through remnants of food aid seeds, drying them out to prepare them to eat. Food is a scarcity here. Fatuma used to live on three meals a day. Today she is happy if aid agencies can provide her with a single meal.

What we must learn from South Sudan

Today the United Nations shelters 200,000 people inside its bases across South Sudan. Never before in history have tens of thousands of people sought refuge for such a long period in UN compounds. Never before have aid workers been forced to work in close proximity with armed peacekeepers under such conditions. South Sudan has reset the rules of aid operations forever.

Escape from Aleppo, at last

This week’s evacuations send a positive signal of what can be achieved around the negotiation table.

The World Humanitarian Day Mockery

Aid workers' efforts are wasted without real political leadership to resolve conflicts and share global responsibility for hosting people fleeing conflict.

Peace as the mere absence of conflict is not enough

Colombia is on the verge of ending 50 years of armed conflict. Negotiators from the government and the main opposition armed group, the FARC, have approved a framework for the peace agreement, and the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, is pushing for the agreement to be signed by the end of August.