What happens when thousands of humanitarian workers from across Latin America come together for seven weeks of intensive training on humanitarian standards? The Sphere in Practice Spanish MOOC (massive open online course), a joint effort by Sphere and RedR UK, delivered critical knowledge to several thousands Spanish-speaking…

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Caritas Moldova has played a crucial role in providing humanitarian aid to displaced people. As a Sphere Focal Point, they have been leading efforts to ensure that aid is…

By Zohaib Hassan, Norwegian Church Aid Context In 2022, severe floods in Pakistan affected over 33 million people, causing widespread damage. Sindh province was among the worst-hit areas, with major damage to infrastructure, homes, and essential services. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), under the ACT Appeal (PAK221), provided urgent help…

An open letter to Mr Tom Fletcher, CMG, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), from the Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) Dear Mr Fletcher, Congratulations on your appointment. We wish you courage and steadfastness as you begin your work…

In response to Israel’s Knesset proposed restrictive ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), William Anderson, Sphere Executive Director, has made the following statement: “Israel was admitted to the United Nations as…

By Sarah Bellovich, Yejin Stella An and Yuzuka Motegi Background In response to increasingly complex crises and responses to those crises, humanitarian practitioners must develop the skills they need to provide lifesaving, protective and accountable assistance which upholds the dignity of crisis-affected communities. As such, education and training are key…

By Alejandro Castañeda Espinel, Sphere trainer and focal point representative (Colombia Sphere Trainers)   In August 2015, the government of Venezuela ordered the closure of the border with Colombia. Nine years later, this is creating significant challenges for people fleeing neighbouring Venezuela. In 2018, the United Nations created…

By Iozefina Teodorescu, Education in Emergences Specialist and Sphere focal point representative, World Vision Romania World Vision Romania joined Sphere’s focal point network in October 2023. Since then, we’ve been promoting Sphere Principles and Standards with…

Many humanitarian concepts, such as community engagement, are diversely defined and divergently understood. There is a demand among practitioners for guiding products such as glossaries and dictionaries that articulate clear and concise definitions. However, attempts to impose…

The Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week(s) is an annual conference which serves as a platform for inter-network collaboration to improve humanitarian preparedness and response. From 400 participants at the first edition in 2015, this event now regularly attracts…