Introduction
This year has been another incredibly difficult one for the humanitarian sector, in a series of challenging years which have seen growing emergencies and beneficiary needs coupled with financial reductions from states and donors. The sector and those in need have greatly suffered as a consequence, but organisations have nevertheless prioritised beneficiaries and fought to continue their operations where possible. Indeed, the humanitarian sector is one that is constantly evolving, learning and adjusting its practices. On World Humanitarian Day 2026, GHRD wants to spotlight two of these efforts from humanitarian organisations that are rethinking how to keep projects alive, challenging normative ideas of humanitarianism, and succeeding in providing for those in need. There are many more start-ups and innovations from the sector that deserve recognition as well. The following two were chosen as they highlight the sector’s move towards collaboration and interconnectivity.
Hulo
Formed in 2021 and based in France, Hulo is the world’s first humanitarian logistics cooperative. Hulo brings together non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector companies, foundations and academic bodies to share expertise and work together to respond to the logistical needs of humanitarians sector-wide. Some of its members include Action Contre la Faim, La Croix-Rouge, International Rescue Committee, Handicap International, Oxfam amongst many more. The cooperative has four key areas that bring its members together. It facilitates resource sharing from accommodation, to expertise, to transport through its app called Shared Resources. The tool, created specifically for humanitarians, proposes services and materials that all NGOs with missions on the ground have or need and therefore, can benefit from connecting with other actors looking to exchange. The cooperative also manages joint procurement initiatives between its members looking to purchase the same materials, thereby ensuring they all receive the best offer and equal treatment. In this aspect, Hulo prioritises local suppliers, as it is also dedicated to creating sustainable humanitarian supply chains. Regarding sustainability, Hulo works with its collaborators to coordinate the international transport of life-saving cargo between NGOs all needing to deliver aid to the same location. This reduces the number of flights with the same destination and ensures each flight maximises its capacity. Finally, Hulo created a supply chain management software that streamlines the procurement process in turn increasing efficiency and compliance with donor regulations.
With values that encourage the breaking of siloed humanitarian actors, the support of local markets and the prioritisation of sustainable practices, Hulo is creating the space for humanitarian actors to collaborate in more ethical and efficient aid delivery. Furthermore, Hulo has proven that by engaging in such collaboration, participants can save financially. Indeed, the cooperative reported that participants saved an average of 15 percent thanks to joint procurement initiatives (Annual Impact Report, 2026).
IFRC GO-Platform and Montandon
Originally launched in 2018, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has been improving its emergency response and disaster information platform called GO that aggregates and displays real-time data from crises. Information provided by its staff in the field combined with secondary data from partner organisations, such as the Organisation for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is used to create a comprehensive overview of a crisis such as the affected population, number of injured persons, emergency funds needed, geographic scale and ongoing events. The data is available as reports, maps and visual displays that facilitate quick understanding to improve information accessibility and, thus, informed decision-making. By having reliable data and information, crisis responders are able to effectively allocate resources, make situation-tailored decisions and efficiently collaborate with others in the field.
As part of improving this software, the IFRC has been developing the Global Crisis Databank since 2024, also known as Montandon. The database is the world’s largest store of information on the scale, geographical impact and consequences for humans of natural hazards. By analysing, categorising, and updating this past information, the IFRC has been able to build a tool that can be used to take evidence-informed anticipatory action before a disaster occurs. With the growing number of environmental disasters due to climate change, Montandon has been critical in forecasting expected impacts with predicted data being coupled with observations to constantly maintain the accuracy of the model. A key aspect of building this tool to scale is the collaboration it took and continues to require between organisations that provide the information, create the software, and design the visual displays. The IFRC underlines that this tool is open-source and accessible to all because its core goal is to provide reliable and actionable data to the humanitarian sector as a whole. Indeed, information that is shared with the IFRC is checked for accuracy and fed back to the sharing organisation for their own benefit to improve models or responses of their own.
Such a database has had and will increasingly have a significant impact on the humanitarian sector as it allows for better informed preventative and anticipatory action that will save lives and avoid destruction. Indeed, the ability to warn communities when past events indicate similar events may be forecasted events cannot be understated. Furthermore, the recording of response data will facilitate the identification of best practices that will improve responses.
Conclusion
What is common amongst these innovations is the need to centralise community. The humanitarian sector has been known to operate in silos with duplicated responses while other needs were left unmet, but what is becoming apparent is that the sector has recognised this pattern and is responding by building the tools it needs to strengthen its action. Indeed, all humanitarians have the same goal: to reduce human suffering. Thus, while the sector itself is in financial crisis, it continues to innovate and provide tools for those who need them most.
Bibliography/ More Information
Hulo. (n.d.). Hulo: The humanitarian logistics cooperative. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://hulo.coop/ International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (n.d.). IFRC GO. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://go.ifrc.org/
