Aid in Fragile States: Improving Our Response to Global Humanitarian Crises

In recent months, multiple, protracted crises around the world have posed the greatest humanitarian aid challenge in a generation and stretched global response to the breaking point. The calamitous displacement crisis in Syria has now entered its fourth year and forced some 2.5 million Syrians to flee to neighboring countries and 6.5 million have been displaced internally. Violence in South Sudan and the Central African Republic have driven millions more from their homes and exacerbated existing humanitarian problems. As a result of these and other crises, there are now more refugees and internally displaced persons globally than ever before, and humanitarian aid has never been more in demand.

On April 10, the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement and the Center on the United States and Europe hosted European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva for an address on humanitarian aid delivery in an increasingly fragile, unpredictable and complex world. In her remarks, Commissioner Georgieva discussed how the aid community must act in a united and concerted approach to face the world’s worst challenges together.

Before joining the European Commission in February 2010, Dr. Georgieva held various positions at the World Bank, including, among others, as director, World Bank environmental strategy, policies and lending; director for sustainable development; and vice president and corporate secretary.

Senior Fellow Elizabeth Ferris, co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, provided the introduction and moderated the discussion.

The event was part of the EU Rendez-Vous series, organized in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S.