Event | What should humanitarian actors do to stop the genocide in Gaza?
Release Date: 09/16/2025
Ethical principles vs institutional realities | Decolonise How?
The New Humanitarian
In the latest Decolonise How? podcast, we ask whether ethical journalism is possible when individual ideals collide with institutional realities. “In school, we are taught: Don't be too close to the story, because then how do you maintain objectivity?” says Kenyan journalist Njoki Chege. “But on the ground, things are very different.” Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.
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Surviving war while delivering aid | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The New Humanitarian
Like many local aid workers living through war, Hind Obeid is surviving a crisis while responding to it. Obeid works for an NGO that supports refugees in Lebanon, but since 2024 Israeli attacks have forced her to fulfill her obligations while experiencing multiple displacements, the fear of airstrikes, and the constant sound of drones. Obeid, who wrote about her experiences for , joins the podcast to reflect on the mental anguish of delivering aid under Israeli bombardment, how the humanitarian system can better support local staff, and why showing up in a crisis feels like...
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Should there be foreign correspondents? | Decolonise How?
The New Humanitarian
In this episode of Decolonise How?, host Patrick Gathara sits down with journalist Jane Ferguson to debate what role foreign correspondents should have in telling stories from crises, and why she now describes herself as a “recovering war reporter”. “I had grown up with this sense of what a foreign correspondent was… but what I learned early on was that my impression was very self-absorbed,” Ferguson says. Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.
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An exit talk with UNRWA’s Philippe Lazzarini | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The New Humanitarian
Philippe Lazzarini has ended his term as head of UNRWA, the UN agency that provides essential services to Palestinians. In an exit interview, Lazzarini describes “the most brutal experience” of his career, his anger when atrocities are met with silence, and the “slippery slope” waiting for humanitarians in Gaza. Guest: Philippe Lazzarini, departing commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Got a question or feedback? Email or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.
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What is humanitarian journalism? | Decolonise How?
The New Humanitarian
There’s more than one way to cover crises, says Professor Martin Scott. In the second episode of Decolonise How?, host Patrick Gathara sits down with Scott, who studies media and global development, to discuss the ethics, practice, and impact of media coverage of crises. Scott popularised the term “humanitarian journalism”. He explains what makes it different from mainstream journalism, and why the labels matter. Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.
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Who owns the story? | Decolonise How?
The New Humanitarian
“The first place that people are dehumanised is in stories.” - Sophie Otiende The way we tell stories about humanitarian crises can distort the realities of the people living through them. From news coverage and research to aid donation appeals, there is a tendency to simplify, decontextualise, and even dehumanise – to portray locals as suffering and helpless, and the outsiders riding to their rescue as heroic and selfless. In Decolonise How? host Patrick Gathara brings together journalists, humanitarians, researchers, and affected communities, to understand why this happens, and...
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Tragedy? When humanitarian language becomes oppressive | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The New Humanitarian
Is it problematic to call human suffering a “tragedy”? Even well-intentioned humanitarian language can harm, says Heidi Mogstad, senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway. She argues that the language humanitarians use can perpetuate systems of violence that cause crises. In this episode, Mogstad gives examples of counter-productive language, and discusses ways to improve. Guests: Heidi Mogstad, senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway. Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post...
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Introducing a new podcast on crisis storytelling | Decolonise How?
The New Humanitarian
Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises. Join host Patrick Gathara as he gathers journalists, humanitarians, researchers, and affected communities into the same conversation. They debate the crisis in crisis reporting – and talk about how things could be done differently.
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The aid sector’s techno-colonialism problem | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The New Humanitarian
AI and new tech in crises: When is technology a force for good, and when are we piling on the problems in humanitarian response? In this episode, experts unpack why technology is never neutral, the fallback on “techno-utopian” solutions, and the risk of “techno-colonialism” and why it matters. Guests: Mirca Madianou, professor in the School of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of “Technocolonialism: When Technology for Good is Harmful”. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the...
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Burnout in the aid sector and how to respond | Rethinking Humanitarianism
The New Humanitarian
Humanitarians have a “burnout culture”, experts say. They work long hours in difficult environments. They’re trying to help people in the worst moments of their lives. In the middle of today’s funding crisis, they’re also deciding who gets aid and who does not. In this episode, humanitarians and experts in mental health or wellbeing talk about what’s driving high rates of burnout, how people can identify it and take action, and what organisations must do better to help their staff. Guests: Javid Abdelmoneim, international president of...
info_outlineAs the genocide in Gaza continues, humanitarian organisations face mounting pressure and unprecedented constraints. Famine has been declared, access remains heavily restricted, and international mechanisms have failed to prevent mass civilian suffering. Frustration is growing across the sector – with some questioning whether traditional humanitarian approaches are fit for purpose in the face of atrocity crimes.
This event brought together humanitarian leaders, legal experts, and Palestinian voices to reflect on the urgent question: What should humanitarian actors do to stop the genocide in Gaza? The discussion examined the limits and responsibilities of humanitarian action, what humanitarian efficacy means in this context, the risks and consequences of different forms of engagement, and the potential for alternative strategies when established mechanisms appear paralysed.
Ahead of the UN General Assembly, this event provided a critical space for reflection and debate.
The event was moderated by TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat, who was joined by:
- Freddie Carver, Director of the Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI Global
- Dr Shahd Hammouri, Palestinian-Jordanian lecturer in International Law and Legal Theory, University of Kent
- Dr Philip Proudfoot, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, and Co-founder of The Accountability Archive