This week we welcome the release of a new CGD book: Relief Chief: A Manifesto for Saving Lives in Dire Times, by Mark Lowcock. A former UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator—and a current Distinguished Non-Resident Fellow at CDG—Mark gives us an inside ...

In a recent note, we asked whether IDA, the arm of the World Bank that provides concessional lending to the poorest countries, has the right approach for determining the balance between grants and loans which its recipients receive. We noted that IDA concessionality depends on the level of recipient...

Heightened food and energy prices are exacerbating humanitarian crises around the world. Resources and attention are being diverted to Ukraine, rather than expanded. Here, we identify existing and new countries at risk, and look at the major donors’ resources to respond to those needs. Policymakers...

This blog summarizes findings from a new paper, which uses a survey of officials from development agencies and partner countries to explore these questions. Our results show that respondents think the effectiveness agenda remains useful, yet express demand for change to ensure it keeps pace with the...

The refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine is shaping up to be the worst the world has seen for 80 years. There are also millions of civilians inside Ukraine—some displaced by the fighting, others still at home—who (either now or in the near future) will need assistance from humanitar...

Humanitarian problems continue to grow across Africa. Conflict, climate change and COVID-19 are the main causes. This is a problem for Africa, but also for Africa’s friends and neighbours, including the European Union (EU). Humanitarian problems increasingly cross borders, with spill over effec...

In this blog, we map key trends and changes in the development landscape and highlight the implications of these changes for the future of ODA. These findings were presented at the Development Leaders Conference 2021, held earlier this month. All development agencies will need to ask themselves how ...