Engagement and disengagement

This blog builds on a recent roundtable examining red lines in humanitarian negotiations, and continues the exploration of the humanitarian relationship with politics and power. By casting a fresh gaze on humanitarian principles, and recognising the social and political agency of humanitarian action, it identifies a place for both cooperation and challenge.

New article: From asylum seekers to kin

The making and effects of kinship between Norwegian citizens and migrants

This article for the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies explores the building of kinship between Norwegian citizens and asylum seekers from the Middle East.

Governance and survival after the earthquake

The political complexities of humanitarian assistance

The tragic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February has been labelled the region’s “worst natural disaster” in 100 years. This blog explores the governance and political complexities of humanitarian assistance in responding to the disaster.

Humanitarian futures

Save the date - Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 June 2023

Save the date for the ‘Humanitarian Futures’ conferenced to be held in Oslo on 7 and 8 June 2023, where we will explore what developments, risks, ideals and policies are characterising the ongoing transformations of the idea and practice of humanitarian assistance.

Research Network on Humanitarian Efforts

Bringing together humanitarian researchers, practitioners, policy makers and the public

The NCHS Research Network on Humanitarian Efforts provides a platform for connecting research on humanitarian efforts both within Norway and internationally.

Explore our humanitarian resource hub

Search here for resources on a range of humanitarian issues from migration, conflict and disaster to health, governance and more

Our resource hub is easy to use and includes articles, webinars, podcasts, policy briefs, books and more. We hope you find our resource hub useful.

Current projects

Red lines and grey zones: Exploring the ethics of humanitarian negotiation

This project will examine the ethical challenges related to humanitarian negotiations, particularly through cases from Syria, Bangladesh, Colombia, Nepal, the Mediterranean and the UN Security Council.

Prioritising the displacement-environment nexus

This project pilots a novel approach to understanding the relationship between displaced people and the environment, conceptualising settlement areas as social-ecological systems to assess linkages between livelihoods, landscape change and environmental health.

Do no harm: Ethical humanitarian innovation and digital bodies

This project examines how innovation in humanitarian ICTs and digitisation shape and challenge humanitarian action and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The power of ideas: Muslim humanitarians and the Sustainable Development Goals

This project sets out to understand how Muslim humanitarian actors relate to, interpret and respond to particular Sustainable Development Goals.

Effects of externalisation: EU migration management in Africa and the Middle East

This project seeks to provide policy-relevant research on the effects of EU external migration policy in six countries across Africa and the Middle East

Adhocism: Ad hoc crisis responses and international organisations

This project will study the impact of ad hoc crisis responses on international organisations (IOs) through a systematic study of ad hoc crisis responses in two policy domains, namely security and health.