Humanitarian Projects Resilience to a Major Disruption: The Enablers for a Conducive Environment

Abstract

This manuscript aims to assess how the enablers of a supportive environment have influenced the resilience of IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) humanitarian projects in responding to major stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Assessing the factors that drive the enhancement of organisational resilience is a growing area of research interest. Indeed, the severity of the disruptions made the COVID-19 crisis an unprecedented stressor, providing new insights into risk management and contingency planning for future major disasters. Aid practitioners can enhance existing scholarly knowledge by conducting a survey to bridge the different perspectives between academia and humanitarian organisations. Public authorities, policymakers, donors, and aid workers can collaborate with academia to gather evidence that informs development priorities. This paper aims to improve understanding of the variables and threats within the humanitarian project ecosystem. These elements interact during major crises to create or worsen vulnerabilities. Practitioners’ insights will highlight key factors that either hinder or enable disaster response. The research findings also support humanitarian diplomacy and promote the development of more effective international disaster laws.