Paper details
| Paper authors | Stephanie Schramm |
| In panel on | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Humanitarian Action: Anyone Still Interested? (Roundtable) |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting | In-Person & Online |
Abstract
The humanitarian aid system faces a crisis of legitimacy, underfunding, and persistent inequality. Despite global commitments to localisation and decolonisation—most notably at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit—only 4% of humanitarian funding reaches local organisations (Degan Ali, 2024), with even less in major crises like Ukraine (Noe, 2024). The system remains top-down, donor-driven, and shaped by geopolitical interests (Alesina, 2000; Hickel, 2022).
The paper states that disability inclusion presents a powerful cross-cutting entry point to disrupt this status quo. People with disabilities are among the most excluded in crises, yet their participation and leadership are essential for truly responsive aid. Disability-inclusive approaches, like IASC guidelines, require deep community engagement, rights-based programming, partnership with organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and context-specific solutions—core principles of localisation.
Embedding disability inclusion across humanitarian action can support to dismantle power asymmetries, amplify marginalised voices, and promote systemic accountability. As the global humanitarian sphere searches for practical pathways to re-prioritise and decolonise, disability inclusion may be the overlooked, yet transformative and locally-led approach delivering both equity and effectiveness.
