Avoiding disaster: global health experts call for responsible humanitarian reform

“The need for transformation of the humanitarian system is undeniable, but dismantling it without clear alternatives is not reform—it is a humanitarian disaster in the making.”

The global consequences of dismantling humanitarian aid

“The need for transformation of the humanitarian system is undeniable, but dismantling it without clear alternatives is not reform—it is a humanitarian disaster in the making.”

This is the warning issued by a group of global health and humanitarian experts, including Prof. Karl Blanchet, Director of the Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, in a correspondence published in The Lancet on March 6, 2025.

In response to recent cuts to foreign aid, including the suspension of US funding and the closure of agencies such as USAID, the authors highlight the immediate risks facing millions worldwide who depend on humanitarian assistance. These abrupt decisions are already disrupting essential services like maternal and child health care, epidemic prevention, and famine response, placing fragile health systems under severe strain.

“Humanitarian reform is essential—but reckless dismantling of aid structures, without alternatives in place, will cost lives, erase decades of progress, and fracture global health security,” the authors caution.

The article also underscores the geopolitical consequences of weakening humanitarian systems, warning of increased global instability and health insecurity.

Transforming the system while protecting those it serves

The correspondence supports the vision of the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health–Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict, and Forced Displacement, which calls for a strategic transformation of humanitarian aid—shifting resources and decision-making closer to affected communities while preserving life-saving programmes.

As co-author, Prof. Blanchet reaffirms the Centre’s commitment to advancing evidence-based reforms that prioritise dignity, accountability, and sustainable impact in humanitarian action.

Read the full correspondence in The Lancet: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00344-7

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