ALNAP podcasts

These diaries capture how humanitarian research in Sudan unfolded over the course of 2025, through the parallel experiences of two researchers working from inside and outside the country. The research was undertaken as part of ALNAP ’s 2026 State of the Humanitarian System work, to understand how humanitarian assistance in Sudan was being delivered and experienced during the war, and what this reveals about the wider humanitarian system.Aymen, a Sudanese researcher, was the study’s local consultant and worked inside Sudan to support field access and in-country engagement.Jana managed the research from outside the country, led remote interviews, analysis and sense-making with ALNAP and Aymen.As conflict intensified and access became increasingly constrained, Aymen and Jana reflected on how their roles, methods, and assumptions were tested. The entries do not aim to summarise findings of the research, but to document moments of listening, restraint, and uncertainty, offering insight into what it means to conduct humanitarian research during an active conflict.You can read the diaries here: https://alnap.org/help-library/resources/sudan-country-brief-sohs-2026/what-research-can-hold-in-war-diaries-from-sudan/

In this episode of The Learning Curve, Juliet Parker speaks with independent evaluator Tasneem Mowjee, lead author of the recent Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation of the Syria–Türkiye earthquake response. Together, they explore what the evaluation revealed — from recurring system-wide challenges to promising examples of community engagement and duty of care. Tasneem reflects on why long-established learning still struggles to shape real-time decisions, what it means to respond in a middle-income context, and how the sector can better empower frontline and local actors during this moment of humanitarian transition.All IAHE reports are are commissioned, funded, and published by the IAHE Steering Group.Guest: Tasneem Mowjee, Director, Policy to Practice Team (P2PT)Host: Juliet Parker, Director, ALNAP Resources: “INFORMING THE HUMANITARIAN RESET WITH EVIDENCE - A contribution from the Türkiye/Syria Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation” - IAHEInter-agency humanitarian evaluation of the response to the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria - EnglishInter-agency humanitarian evaluation of the response to the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria - Arabic Inter-agency humanitarian evaluation of the response to the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria - TurkishJoin our WhatsApp channel

Rethinking incentives in humanitarian actionIn this episode of ‘The Learning Curve’, Juliet Parker, Director of ALNAP, speaks with Damian Lilly, an independent consultant based in Mozambique and a former UN and NGO humanitarian leader. Together, they unpack one of the sector’s most persistent challenges: how to turn learning into meaningful change. Drawing on Damian’s recent article co-authored with Mike Pearson, the conversation explores why existing incentive structures within the humanitarian system often prevent real reform. Damian argues that while the sector has no shortage of ideas, evidence, or learning, the problem lies in the economics of aid—how agencies are funded, rewarded, and held accountable. Guest:  Damian Lilly, Independent Consultant and former UN and NGO Humanitarian Adviser Host: Juliet Parker, Director, ALNAP Resources: Article: “Change the economic incentives to reform the humanitarian system” – by Damian Lilly and Mike PearsonJoin our WhatsApp channel

In this episode of 'A Matter of Priorities,' our host Alice Obrecht continues her conversation with Hugo Slim on his work with the Norwegian Center for Humanitarian Studies. The discussion focuses on more detailed principles for prioritising and allocating humanitarian resources, such as the principle of shared responsibility. He explores how geopolitical relationships and proximity can play a crucial role in defining and meeting humanitarian needs. The episode also includes an updated conversation with Hugo on the aid cuts taking place in early 2025 and how they could be undertaken with an eye to improving humanitarian aid.  Hugo emphasises the need for a leaner, nationalised humanitarian framework and the importance of maintaining universal values amidst a shifting geopolitical landscape.Guest: Hugo Slim, Senior Research Fellow at the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford.Hosts:Alice Obrecht, Head of Research & Impact, ALNAP ResourcesHow should we define and prioritise humanitarian need? An ethics-based perspective for impact initiatives ALNAP’s A Matter of Priorities: a podcast on tough choices in humanitarian funding Join our WhatsApp channel

In this episode of 'A Matter of Priorities,' as the sector as a whole looks at a 'humanitarian reset,' our host Alice Obrecht delves into the definition of a humanitarian need with Hugo Slim and how these boundaries might be redefined. The episode features insights from Hugo Slim, a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, who discusses the need to redefine humanitarian needs through six theoretical approaches and three core questions that agencies should address. The conversation further explores the ethical dilemmas of prioritising short-term emergency aid over long-term recovery efforts, with practical examples such as displacement scenarios in South Sudan. The discussion underscores a shift towards focusing on vital interests and necessary programming over broader, optimal life improvements to better address urgent humanitarian crises.Guests: Katie Rickard, Impact InitiativesHugo Slim, Senior Research Fellow at the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford.Hosts:Alice Obrecht, Head of Research & Impact, ALNAP ResourcesHow should we define and prioritise humanitarian need? An ethics-based perspective for impact initiatives ALNAP’s A Matter of Priorities: a podcast on tough choices in humanitarian funding Join our WhatsApp channel