Crises and emergency relief during the COVID-19 pandemic: what role can humanitarian actors play in France?

The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to have a major impact throughout the world, with significant economic and social consequences. This systemic crisis is increasing the fragility of certain societies and raising questions about aid organisations’ methods (in sectors such as the medical/social sector and the humanitarian sector). It is also raising questions about their ability to cope in a context where our own societies ‘in the Global North’ are increasingly being affected.

In spring, the crisis brought unprecedented images of Doctors
Without Borders staff deployed in France and Italy to fight the pandemic, and NGOs who usually work in humanitarian contexts working in France, distributing emergency food aid alongside associations and citizens.

Our work in connection with the COVID Observatory, and the Autumn School on Humanitarian Aid (which brought together around thirty representatives from the aid sector for an unprecedented experience sharing exercise following the first wave) both show that there is a need to find new operational methods, to act locally and to support emerging forms of solidarity, whether in Europe or in crisis contexts further afield.

This research project is therefore fully in keeping with our ‘raison d’être’ as an organisation. It will help to promote new practices and new mutual support networks, and it will allow us to accompany the transformations that are necessary within the aid sector to establish renewed forms of solidarity. Aimed at humanitarian actors, it will highlight ways to renew operational practices.

The specific objectives of this project are:

• To provide an overview of forms of solidarity that are being implemented in response to COVID-19;
• To understand why and how humanitarian actors are integrated (or not) into responses;
• To analyse types of collaboration between the different actors involved.