are organised spaces where participants, representing multiple actors, discuss a variety of topics in relation to humanitarian governance. Actors can include, for example, national aid providers, civil society actors, research institutions, independent researchers, academics, think tanks and government representatives. These networks of actors observe trends and processes in humanitarian governance and propose changes when needed.
Whilst most discussions about humanitarian action and governance occur at the international level and are not context specific, most of the actual activities within humanitarian action occur at a local or regional, and contextualised level. This creates a disconnect, and negatively impacts both people affected by and involved in humanitarian activities. The Humanitarian Observatories initiative seeks to address this need, by creating locally rooted spaces for learning, exchange, strategic thinking, and action.
Humanitarian Observatories are intended to be complementary to humanitarian coordination (at a local/regional/national level), and venues for exchange and feedback. Whilst Observatories can choose to focus on specific issues or themes, the Observatories are intended to bring together a diversity of actors and are not concerned with the immediacy of specific projects (unless the Observatory members themselves find this relevant).
However, the Humanitarian Observatories do not exist within these country/contextual silos and have expanded to a knowledge and learning exchange network now known as the Inter-Observatory Network. This Inter-Observatory Network meets often to take stock of the humanitarian systems in which they operate and further create spaces where local and contextual knowledge can be brought to the fore in a manner that furthers co-created knowledge generation and sharing, and advocacy thereof.
Hilhorst, D. (2023). Humanitarian observatories – seeking change from below.
Core purposes of the Observatories
Active Observatories
Observatories established as part of the ERC-funded ‘Humanitarian Governance: Accountability, Advocacy, Alternatives’ project:
Latin America & The Caribbean, based in Colombia
Hosted at the Universidad de Los Andes
Publications
Mena, R., Aparicio, J.R. and Villacis, G. Humanitarian action in Latin America: Same but different?
Observatory newsletter [Spanish and English]
Democratic Republic of Congo (OH-RDC)
Publications
Jacobs, C., Kyamusugulwa, P. M. and Katembera, R.S. (2024). Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Looking beyond physical crimes [French version]
Kyamusugulwa, P. M. and Mwenebyake, D. L. (2023). Creating a space for Congolese to talk about issues including how widespread sexual abuse is ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s humanitarian sector.
Kyamusugulwa, P. M. and Mwenebyake, D. L. (2023). Adapting codes of conduct for humanitarian workers to the DRC context can prevent and combat sexual abuse.
Ethiopia
Hosted by Addis Ababa University
Publications
Hordofa, A.B. (2023). Why it’s crucial for internally displaced persons to participate in the peace process following Ethiopia’s Oromia Conflict.
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 884139
Observatories established as part of The Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre:
The Philippines
Hosted by the CDP, through the TalaKawayan programme
Publications
dela Cruz, L.B. and Mercado, M.V.DC. (2024). ‘Pagkakaloob’: The Filipino concept and practice of community philanthropy
Alburo-Cañete, K.Z., Recio, R.B. and Cajilig, P.G. (2024). ‘Grounding Disaster Justice: Perspectives from Practitioners’. Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, 72 (1), pp. 91-119. philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/view/5223
Humanitarian Observatory Initiative South Asia (HOISA), based in India
Hosted by the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute
Publications
Abeytia, A., Uqaili, S., Bhatt, M. and Trivedi, K. (2024). AI and Emerging Tech for Humanitarian Action: Opportunities and Challenges
Trivedi, K., Bhatt, M., Pathak, V., Chakrabarti, P. and Chaudhary, K.S. (2023). A humanitarian observatory for discussing heatwaves in South Asia was recently launched — here’s how it wants to improve responses to heatwaves
Namibia
Hosted by Caritas
Launched on 24 May 2024 in Katima Mulilo, Zambezi Region
Publications
Nandjaa, A. (2025). Emphasizing locally-led knowledge interventions in cases of neglected humanitarian crises: Launching the Namibian Humanitarian Observatory
Humanitarian Observatory Initiative Libya (HOILY)
Hosted by United Efforts
More information coming soon
Humanitarian Observatory for Central and Eastern Europe, based in Poland
Hosted by Migration Consortium and the University of Warsaw
More information coming soon
Publications
Hargrave, K., Bryant, J., Jarosz, S., et al. (2024). Narratives and the Ukraine response: implications for humanitarian action and principles. HPG working paper. London: ODI Global.
Maraka Humanitarian Observatory, based in Pakistan
Hosted by Crossroads Advisory and the University of Peshawar, Department of Political Science, with seed funding by the Women’s Regional Network (WRN)
Maraka is a Pushto word with variations in Dari/Persian/Hazargi and Shina languages, referring to a gathering of diverse people to discuss issues confronting them.
The Humanitarian Observatory was inaugurated at the Department of Political Science at the University of Peshawar on 4 November 2024.
Somalia
Hosted by Evidence for Change (e4c)
Nigeria
Hosted by Foundation for Peace and Humanitarian Dialogue
The Netherlands
Hosted by KUNO: Platform for Humanitarian Knowledge Exchange in the Netherlands
Latest Humanitarian Observatories Updates:
The Humanitarian Observatory Network is currently participating in the State of the Humanitarian System (SOHS) report with ALNAP and the Future of Aid 2040: Pathways to Transformation with IARAN