Worldwide disasters are increasing in frequency and complexity. Similarly vulnerability to crises is likely to increase as the world population continues to grow, particularly in urban areas, increasing demands on food and water resources.
Last year (2013) a record $22 billion was spent on Humanitarian Assistance, yet even at these record levels of funding, under two-thirds of the humanitarian needs outlined in UN appeals were met.
Instead of focusing funding on reacting to crises more needs to be spent on preventing disasters from occurring in the first place:
In 2011 the world spent almost 40 times more dealing with disasters than preventing and preparing for them.
Oxfam
For every €1 invested in disaster prevention, €4 to €7 are saved in disaster response.
EU Commission for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
Future of Humanitarian Financing is an initiative which will explore new models of financing humanitarian action and address questions such as ‘how can we best prepare for emergencies to save lives and money reacting to crises’. By bringing experts from beyond the humanitarian sector, including those involved in risk financing and insurance Future of Humanitarian Financing bring fresh thinking and expertise to this debate and influence the global agenda on humanitarian financing, providing practical and applicable solutions to address some of these growing problems. To join in the dialogues press ‘Apply’ below and please visit our ‘About’ page for more information on the research and dialogue events.