Humanitarian System 2026: Fewer Resources, Greater Responsibility for Local Organisations

The global humanitarian system is currently facing a challenging moment — a crisis of resources, trust, and priorities. In this context, it is particularly important that the voices of local organisations are heard not only at the level of programme implementation, but also in decision-making processes.

Olga Kosse, Chair of the Board of the NGO “Responsible Citizens”, took part in a series of advocacy meetings in London together with partners and colleagues from Ukrainian organisations. These meetings provided an opportunity to convey to international partners and the donor community the experience of Ukrainian local organisations that work directly with communities on a daily basis.

It was during these discussions that it became especially clear that the challenges of 2026 reflect a broader trend: the humanitarian system is evolving amid public fatigue with the war, shrinking funding, and a reorientation of donor approaches.

For local NGOs in Ukraine, these changes are felt particularly acutely. Civil society organisations are those working in communities every day, observing the real dynamics of needs and delivering critical services to people in contexts where other response mechanisms are not always able to act swiftly and flexibly. At the same time, opportunities for direct and meaningful engagement with the donor community remain limited for local organisations. This is closely linked to the broader issue of localisation of humanitarian aid.

“Today, localisation too often appears as the right language in strategies and public statements, but far less frequently translates into a genuine redistribution of trust, resources, and influence. Until this changes, the system will continue to place significant responsibility on local organisations while granting them limited access to decision-making,” said Olga Kosse, Chair of the Board of the NGO “Responsible Citizens”.

For this reason, the meetings in London also addressed specific issues that local organisations encounter in their daily work: the inclusiveness of the humanitarian response, support for internally displaced persons outside frontline regions, and the challenges of transitioning from humanitarian response to recovery. In this same context, it is important to highlight procedural and systemic barriers that often complicate the work of local organisations.

At the same time, partnership experience demonstrates that these challenges can be addressed. The NGO “Responsible Citizens” has four years of cooperation with Mercy Corps, illustrating how investments in the development of local organisations can translate into tangible solutions for communities. This includes projects supporting host communities and creating conditions for the integration of internally displaced persons — through educational and vocational programmes that help people secure employment in new locations, restore economic stability, and gradually regain self-reliance.

Moreover, this partnership has grown beyond collaboration within individual projects. Investments in organisational development, advocacy, and institutional capacity enable local NGOs not only to respond to crises, but also to contribute to shaping decisions.

A particularly important role in this regard is played by the LIVES programme, implemented by Mercy Corps with financial support from FCDO. Such investments demonstrate that strengthening local organisations makes humanitarian assistance more effective, more responsive to people’s real needs, and better positioned to generate longer-term systemic impact.

We extend our sincere thanks to Mercy Corps Ukraine for its consistent support and partnership, in which strengthening local organisations is not merely a declaration, but a practical reality.