The Canadian International Development Agency assesses the role of the GHA country profiles

With the existence of an increasing number of humanitarian actors and channels through which to deliver assistance, providing a clear picture of humanitarian financing can be a considerable challenge.  GHA’s country profiles provide a useful snapshot as to how – and how much – humanitarian assistance is disbursed each year, and where those funds are being directed.

As one of the founders and first co-chairs of the Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative, Canada has a proven commitment to humanitarian action and remains a dedicated humanitarian donor. With the level of humanitarian needs continuing to grow, it is clear that we – both as a donor and as a member of the international humanitarian community – must rise to the challenge of finding ways to best meet those needs.  As the country profiles track disbursements over time, they give us cause to reflect on what role we have played in the humanitarian system, which trends have emerged, and how best to move forward.

An integral component of effective response is working to continually build the evidence base to enable better, more informed policy and programming decisions. Taken as a whole, GHA’s country profiles present not only a comprehensive overview of the state of humanitarian financing, but also, and perhaps more importantly, they provide a window into where funding has fallen short, and where increased efforts are needed. In contributing to this evidence base, the country profiles serve to foster a more robust dialogue on and analysis of humanitarian assistance, through offering insight into some of the ways that different country actors engage in humanitarian action.