Why does Pakistan support Islamist groups in Afghanistan?

This blog offers a fresh perspective on Pakistan’s backing of Afghan Islamist groups, such as the Taliban, despite their refusal to accept the Durand Line as a recognised international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Ukrainian refugee pets: Perspectives from the classroom

This blog post offers reflections on the reception and care of Ukrainian refugee pets and the complex tensions and ethical issues this raises for refugee management more broadly.

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.

Pets and humanitarian borders

Currently little academic attention is paid to pets and war. This blog explores how the care for animals is rapidly becoming a part of the humanitarian narrative of the attack on Ukraine and provides a starting point for further discussion on this topic.

Agents of change or agents of continuity? Gender and conflict in Ukraine

With the world’s eyes focused on Putin’s war on Ukraine, this war – as any other – is also profoundly gendered. This blog discusses what type of gendered interplay we are seeing in Ukraine as the war unfolds.

Militarisation, racism and Russophobia: What the war in Ukraine produces and reveals

This blog examines the hasty militarisation of Europe in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and points to the humanitarian racism and global rise of Russophobia exposed by the response to the war.

Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and its humanitarian consequences

This blog discusses the humanitarian aspects of Putin’s invasion to Ukraine and the urgent need to engage in humanitarian diplomacy.

Afghanistan: Beyond humanitarian relief

This blog examines why the looming humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan necessitates a broader engagement with the Taliban, and argues that the focus of aid to Afghanistan needs to shift from relief to development assistance as soon as possible.

The evacuation of judges and the future of justice in Afghanistan

This blog examines the evacuation of judges from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in August 2021 and the impact for the future of justice in Afghanistan.

Do not abandon the Afghan people

A functional Afghan state requires both humanitarian aid and financial support for a considerable time ahead, and previous investments in social service programs should not be wasted, says Arne Strand and Astri Suhrke.

Contingency planning in the Digital Age: Biometric data of Afghans must be reconsidered

This blog examines the security implications for Afghans who have had their biometrics registered by humanitarian or military agencies.

The chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ in the streets of Afghanistan

As the Taliban’s relentless military campaign escalates, this blog examines how the current phase of conflict has shifted the dynamics of militarised violence from rural areas to populated urban areas.