Journal du Net features LIFE

The Journal du Net mentions us in a feature on humanitarian work. The article “Building a culture of effectiveness: a necessity for humanitarian action” looks at the challenges the sector faces today.

Humanitarian work is going through a many-sided crisis that calls its effectiveness and legitimacy into question, just as the need for assistance keeps growing. To meet these challenges, many organisations in the sector are adapting or changing their approach so that they can measure, improve and make the most of their impact.

Organisations like LIFE are working to refine how they act and how they evaluate their work. In our OASIS campaign, for example, we focus on gathering local data. This helps us better understand people's needs and estimate the environmental impact of our operations. To do this, we fit water sensors in the drinking-water wells we build.

Another increasingly common approach is to involve local people in planning and evaluating humanitarian projects. This keeps the work relevant and effective. The method is championed by organisations such as Care and LIFE, and it stresses the importance of truly understanding local realities and working closely with the communities concerned. We are also committed to bringing communities integrated projects that meet all their needs! Our work spans several complementary areas: water, the environment, food security and education.

Despite these efforts, the humanitarian sector faces major challenges, not least an unprecedented funding crisis that puts many NGOs, charities and projects at risk. Improving the reach and impact of humanitarian action therefore remains a top priority for everyone involved.

Organisations like ours, which build emerging standards of effectiveness and ethics into their work from the outset, are ideally placed to respond to the changing needs of the most vulnerable people.