Acting Under Uncertainty: Rethinking Humanitarian Aid in Crisis Contexts
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Humanitarian and Development Interventions face a growing gap between the rhythm of crises (households exhaust survival strategies within 72 hours) and the rhythm of responses (planning and assessment requirements take weeks). This article synthesises field-based exchanges from the Markets in Crises community and proposes five principles for faster, more adaptive, yet accountable action: (1) Reframe Risk as containing both threat and opportunity (ISO definition), (2) Distinguish Logistics from Relational domains, (3) Preserve Tacit Knowledge through light documentation and systematic sharing, (4) Adopt the "Mud On The Wall" experimentation model, and (5) Confront Political Conflict rather than avoiding it. Practical tools (checklists, decision grids, learning templates) are included.
DOI: 10.37745/bjmas.0626
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225644218
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