The world is experiencing the largest displacement crisis in recorded history. The crisis is driven by three interconnected realities: violent conflict, climate change and extreme poverty. Humanitarian organizations are delivering life-saving aid to people forced from their homes by war and disaster, but as crises become more protracted, they are having to do more with less.
This is a time of unprecedented challenges for the humanitarian community. As the scale and complexity of humanitarian emergencies continues to grow, the importance of clear, well-researched and thoroughly contextualized humanitarian news has never been greater. This is particularly true for donors, diplomats and other humanitarian audiences.
But as the humanitarian sector strives to be a force for good, it has been confronted with misinformation and false narratives that undermine its efforts. Such claims can have real-world consequences for the people relying on humanitarian assistance, from food in war-torn Sudan to medical treatment for malnourished children in Syria and Afghanistan. They can also jeopardize access to vaccines against infectious diseases like Marburg virus in Mauritania, Mpox in Central and Eastern Africa and Ebola in Uganda.
Humanitarian operations in a war zone are complex, and the reality on the ground often contradicts false narratives in the media. In Gaza, for example, Hamas terrorists have co-opted aid distribution sites for their own use and threaten civilians trying to get assistance from groups that do not work with them. As a result, GHF has had to hyper-prioritize its country and regional plans in the face of ongoing threats.