The Humanitarian Exchange and Research Centre works to close the gap between policy and humanitarian practice.

About Us

Founded in Geneva in 2014, the Humanitarian Exchange and Research Centre (HERE) works to close the gap between policy and humanitarian practice. We endeavour to understand and promote the steps that need to be taken in order to uphold the rights of crisis-affected people.

2022 Annual report

We are proud to share our 2022 Annual Report with you! The purpose of this report is not only to showcase what we achieved last year, but also to reflect on our work. Much of our work in 2022 explored the balance between the individual and the collective.
Read the annual report

SPOTLIGHT

Principled Compromises or Compromised Principles?

This report examines how humanitarian actors in Ukraine have navigated the application of core principles since the full-scale invasion of 2022. Based on interviews and document analysis, it argues that in highly politicised environments, upholding principled action depends less on what organisations do, and more on how they navigate compromise, calling for "principled compromises" rather than "compromised principles."
Read the final report

Taking the Next Step

Building on our previous and ongoing work, we we highlight here the important points and key arguments concerning the four major humanitarian principles. Faced with the intensification of crises in an increasingly uncertain world, we demonstrate here that humanitarian principles are more than mere bureaucratic constraints.
Read (and watch) more

Reviewing a Decade of HERE

As HERE marks its 10th anniversary, we are taking stock of our journey, impact, and path ahead. Humentum is conducting a light external review of our work, helping to shape how HERE continues to serve as a trusted voice in humanitarian analysis and policy reflection.
Read the 10 Year Review

ongoing work

Evaluation of UNICEF’s L3 response (2024-2025) in Syria

This evaluation assesses UNICEF's decision to activate its L3 emergency procedure following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. It examines whether the L3 was the right tool for the context, its impact on agility and programme delivery, and its contribution to internal coordination through the "One Syria" model. The evaluation also looks at UNICEF's role in the wider humanitarian response, its cross-cutting commitments, and resource implications.

Evaluation of OCHA’s work in negotiating humanitarian access

This independent evaluation assesses OCHA's humanitarian access work from 2022 to early 2026, with emphasis on recent years given shifts in the humanitarian landscape. Commissioned by OCHA's leadership and carried out in close cooperation with Belgium-based consultancy ADE, it examines both policy-level dimensions and operational access activities.

Sense-making of the humanitarian reset

In response to sharp funding cuts and record needs in early 2025, the Emergency Relief Coordinator launched the humanitarian reset to reform sector organisation and ways of working, building on earlier efforts around prioritisation, localisation, and coordination. Drawing on our expertise and institutional memory, HERE is engaging with humanitarian leaders and donors to help shape and make sense of this process.
Read more on coordination

HERE Publications

We carry out applied, mixed-methods research and analysis, engage in dialogue with operational humanitarian actors, and feed the humanitarian community with independent reports, policy papers, and studies. Browse through our library!

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