No analysis of resources for humanitarian assistance can be complete without taking account of this domestic humanitarian response, yet it is rarely, if ever, considered. This immediate humanitarian assistance, originating in-country and beyond the gaze of international actors and global media, is in many cases sizeable but remains largely unreported and uncounted.
We have begun to try and understand domestic humanitarian assistance in terms of its scale, strengths and weaknesses and its inter-relation with international aid. The GHA programme has completed a pilot phase which included an analysis of global aid databases, in-country case studies in Bangladesh and Uganda as well as a study of who is counting domestically mobilised resources and how international organisations are building domestic humanitarian capacity.
We aim to build on these initial investigations through further analysis of domestic resource data, ongoing study of the characteristics of local humanitarian response and building links with those advocating for proper recognition and incorporation of domestic efforts.
Perhaps a stronger and more effective humanitarian system can emerge where international and domestic actors respond cohesively and the comparative strengths of each are fully employed. Where states are weaker, international actors can step up. Where the domestic system is stronger, international actors can take a less prominent role focusing their activities on specific areas of response. Making domestic response much more visible is crucial to this process.
