Humanitarian crises are caused by wars, disasters, and epidemics, most often in poor countries. The response to these crises relies first on local community solidarity, followed by assistance from international humanitarian organizations. These, in turn, depend on the response capabilities of humanitarian actors, public and private funding, access to victims, and cooperation among relief actors on the ground.
The sharp decline in public humanitarian funding, geopolitical fragmentation, and the erosion of international humanitarian law are severely impacting relief efforts for victims.
Thus, one of the immediate effects of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is to block all trade in the Strait of Hormuz, with multiple global consequences that notably affect the export of fertilizers essential for agriculture, particularly in the poorest countries. This also carries a high risk of triggering a food crisis in the Middle East! This war is spreading to Lebanon, which already has over one million displaced people, including 350,000 children, more than a thousand deaths, and the risk of southern Lebanon being annexed with no possibility of the population returning, as Israel has declared.
This editorial, like every other article from this edition of Défis Humanitaires, aim at providing analysis, testimonies, examples, tools for readers as well as actors of geopolitics, humanitarian work, their partners and parlementaries, journalists, Think Tanks and Faculties, followers and doners who help making possible the publication of Défis Humanitaires.
Factors Driving Global Geopolitical Change.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ouster of President Maduro in Venezuela, Donald Trump’s re-election, the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, and other threats are upending international relations, risking the very denial of the rule of law.
The return of empires, the symmetrical assertiveness of nation-states, and the emergence of countries in the “Global South” are major contributors to this ongoing dynamic of fragmentation, conflict, and recomposition.
In this context, the president of the world’s leading power, Donald Trump, has as his sole agenda “America Trump First,” which blends both isolationism and interventionism in all global affairs based on the “deal” of power dynamics and interests.
This aggression will have the opposite effect of radicalizing all parties and situations, as we can see from the increase in defense budgets! Does this make the world any safer, and doesn’t this constant escalation inevitably lead to war in all its forms?
And this does nothing to address, beyond the legitimate interests of each country, the challenges facing all of humanity—challenges that are all sources of collective danger: climate change, melting glaciers, pollution, loss of biodiversity, the drinking water crisis, epidemics, demographics, the criminal economy, the potential proliferation of military nuclear weapons, and so on.
In this new context, the weakening of the UN and of multilateralism equally diminishes the institutions capable of regulation through negotiation.
And yet, we must effectively coordinate the global trade necessary for 8 billion people—who will number 10 billion in 25 years, with Africa’s population set to double! Where are the plans to anticipate this demographic shock? What will be the consequences of our lack of preparation?
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Prospects for the Humanitarian Sector.
In a new context where we are witnessing the erosion of international law and where the humanitarian sector is likely to lose half of its public funding, it is useful to take stock of the situation to identify its strengths—so as to optimize them—and its weaknesses—so as to address them—and to explore new avenues and methods yet to be devised.
Without claiming to be exhaustive, these strengths are first and foremost those of commitment and the motivation to act to save lives. They also include responsiveness and pragmatism, as well as professional experience and expertise. There are donor support networks and the coordination of organizations with donors as well as on the ground. Above all, we must not forget the proximity to local populations, public opinion, the media, and government authorities—both in the countries that provide aid and in the countries where it is implemented for populations at risk.
On the downside, we note a lack of strategic foresight, though this is offset, it is true, by a strong capacity for adaptation. We should also highlight the weakness of communication, which is primarily directed at its own staff and which, despite donor support, struggles to break out of its silo and gain broader influence. With a few rare exceptions, NGOs’ business models are either fragile or dependent, lacking significant capacity for investment and renewal.
This brief overview lays the groundwork for a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening our organization while adapting—and even transforming. With this in mind, let us highlight a few potential avenues for progress.
- Forge new alliances with individual donors, institutional donors, businesses and foundations, the media, research centers, and among humanitarian organizations themselves.
- Revamp communication by documenting the human consequences of crises with concrete and compelling examples.
- Better measure the impact of the actions implemented and demonstrate to the public how the resources mobilized improve the lives of populations at risk and save lives, while establishing sustainable responses to essential needs.
- Show how innovation and pooling of resources enable us to be closer to the people, act more quickly, be more effective, and optimize resources and every euro.
- At a more strategic level, demonstrate how human security is a prerequisite for international security, as well as why and how national solidarity is compatible with international solidarity.
- Share, illustrate, and promote the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence as the foundation of all action, while avoiding the risks of politicization and division that would weaken us.
Défis Humanitaires doesn’t have all the answers, but our journal explores avenues, solutions, and options both within and outside the “toolbox.” Please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions at: contact@defishumanitaires.com
Défis Humanitaires’ Commitment to You.
Défis Humanitaires is a nonprofit organization established under the French law of 1901 that publishes an independent, free online journal. The costs of this publication are covered by the volunteer work of its expert committee members and numerous contributors (complete list of contributors), as well as by humanitarian and geopolitical networks and by donors who make each new issue possible.
If we were to think in terms of a “business model,” there would be nothing. What makes the difference for Défis Humanitaires are the convictions, the commitment, the experience gained, the friends, donors, and authors without whom this would not exist. And now we are also witnessing the emergence of a new geopolitical era where confrontation is taking hold and war looms, at the very moment when public humanitarian and development funding is collapsing while needs are growing.
This Issue 111 is emblematic of our journal. You will discover a fascinating interview with Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, a seasoned diplomat, who explains the past to us and sheds light on the present and the future. We are very excited to publish testimonials from NGOs such as Électriciens Sans Frontières (ESF), with its president Hervé Gouyet, who presents the results of four years of engagement in Ukraine.
Similarly, we hear from the Solinfo association, which has been active in Bangladesh for 22 years, with a field report that takes us along with Thierry Liebaut, its secretary general, who has just returned from there. In the field of innovation, following last month’s presentation of the remarkable tool, the Solis bot, Antoine Vaccaro of Force For Good offers us a remarkable analysis of philanthropy in times of chaos. Regarding global access to drinking water and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2015–2030), Gérard Payen, vice president of the French Water Partnership, provides an overview of the current situation and strategic challenges of the upcoming UN World Water Summit, which will take place in December 2026 in Abu Dhabi.
A New Défis Humanitaires.
In the face of ongoing geopolitical and humanitarian upheavals, our magazine must adapt, evolve, and change to better fulfill its mission and meet readers’ expectations.
This process concerns both content and form. How can we adapt our editorial line to the new geopolitical context? How can we interpret current events to anticipate the world to come? How can we reposition the humanitarian sector, which has been hit hard by the drastic decline in public funding? How can we mobilize new partners and allies? How can we adapt, change, and reinvent ourselves?
How can we adapt our layout and offer new features to our readers? What direction should we take in terms of graphic identity to better express a renewed editorial line?
Please feel free to share your thoughts on these questions with us. It’s very simple—just write to us at contact@defishumanitaires.com
However, while volunteer work is essential to achieving this, it is not enough on its own. We urgently need your support to cover the costs of this new layout and to expand our editorial team so that we can fully develop our content, including articles, testimonials, interviews, and visual materials.
I am therefore appealing to the generosity of our readers—who are our closest and most loyal supporters—by inviting you to make a donation at (faireundon), for which you will receive a tax receipt entitling you to a tax deduction of 66% of the amount donated.
Thank you very much for your support of Défis Humanitaires, a unique monthly magazine that hopes to bring this project to fruition thanks to you. Thank you.
Alain Boinet.
President of Défis Humanitaires.
Alain Boinet is the president of the association Défis Humanitaires which publishes the online review www.defishumanitaires.com. He is the founder of the humanitarian association Solidarités International of which he was director general for 35 years. Moreover, he is a member of the Humanitarian Consultation Group with the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, member of the Board of Directors of Solidarités International, of the French Water Partnership (PFE), of the Véolia Foundation, of the Think Tank (re)sources. He continues to go to the field (north-east Syria, Haut-Karabagh/Artsakh and Armenia) and to testify in the media.
Discover the other articles of this edition :
- Interview with Maurice Gourdault-Montagne
- Ukraine : 4 years of commitment, one reality : energy is a humanitarian emergency – Hervé Gouyet
- Philanthropy in times of Chaos – Antoine Vaccaro
- The risk of abandoning all global water-related goals – Gérard Payen
- Between political transition, identity-based tensions, and geopolitical and climate shocks : Bangladesh’s complex equation – Thierry Libeaut
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