Angelus Novus Paul Klee’s Angelus Novus, created in 1920, is a small artwork with a very life. The image, now in the collection of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, became widely known mostly because of the German philosopher Walter Benjamin, who bought it in 1921 and later interpreted it as the “angel of history.” The angel in the image appears startled, fragile, and suspended. Its eyes are wide open, its wings are wide raised, and its body seems caught between movement and st

Authors/Contributions from: Adriana Stibral, Thea Hilhorst, Palash Kamruzzaman, Mihir R. Bhatt, Khayal Trivedi At a time when the global humanitarian system is under extraordinary strain, the HOISA’s panel discussion on “Status of Humanitarian Studies: A View and Beyond” brought together leading voices to reflect on the future of the field. Speakers included Dr. Adriana A. Stibral (Charles Darwin University), Professor Palash Kamruzzaman (University of South Wales), Professor

Contributions from: Aparna Tandon, Isber Sabrine, Paola Jani, Mihir R. Bhatt and Khayal Trivedi What place does cultural heritage protection have within the humanitarian efforts while planning for aid and relief? How must we protect the invaluable world heritage during times of crisis? And how do we manage the risk, and provide first-aid to cultural heritage during emergencies? Conflicts, disasters and climate change stand as major threats to human civilisation, its systems

Contributions from: Susanne Jaspars, Marga Fekadu Angerasa, Behaylu Giram The Sudanese conflict has plunged the region into another cycle of instability and crisis. It therefore becomes critical to look at the situation from a regional perspective to analyse and prepare for how this could affect a much larger population in the region, and what lessons South Asia can learn from it. In one of the webinar sessions in 2023, HOISA discussed the challenges for the humanitarian net

Author: Dr. Dorothea Hilhorst, Sarian Jarosz, Mohammed Jelle, Mihir R. Bhatt, and Khayal Trivedi 2024 has been a particularly challenging year for the world—but especially for the humanitarian and development sector. In the wake of increased defence funding, military operations and an ongoing arms race, funding for the humanitarian sector has been drastically reduced in several parts of the world. The USAID freeze, one of the major causes and triggers of this change, led to

Authors: Sudhanshu S. Singh, Ali Al Mokdad, Jaipreet Kaur, Mihir Bhatt, Khayal Trivedi Amidst the ongoing crisis of legitimacy and funding for the international humanitarian system, there is a serious challenge to the sustainability and equity of the current aid system. At a recent panel discussion, hosted by Humanitarian Observatory Initiative of South Asia Humanitarian, All-India Disaster Mitigation Institute, and Humanitarian Aid International, humanitarian actors gathere

Authors: Dr. Shabana Khan, Dr. Jyoti Mishra, Dr. Nova Ahmed, Mihir R. Bhatt, Khayal Trivedi, Edited by Spandan Pandya Technological advancements in communication and digital technologies have greatly influenced the humanitarian sector, enabling better, more effective risk communication even in remote and geographically vulnerable areas during disasters. Similarly, early warning systems have drastically reduced the mortality in natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, and h