Saving lives with limited resources: The need to prioritise

This session aims to secure greater commitment to transparent and accountable prioritization of humanitarian action by directing resources towards the most acute needs. The session will discuss how donors and humanitarian organizations can best prioritize their work in the face of today’s overwhelming needs and limited resources. At the same time, it will evaluate why some of the world’s most severe crises remain stubbornly underfunded and what tools are needed for more informed and transparent prioritization within and between crises. The session will furthermore debate the terms “vulnerability” and “humanitarian”, asking what the advantages and disadvantages of using these terms are. Finally, the session will evaluate what happens with the much-needed work on prevention and anticipation of crises, and the resilience of affected communities, if we agree to target scarce humanitarian funds more narrowly towards life-saving activities.