Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks

Session title: Security in Urban and Densely populated Environments

Organizer(s): GISF

2 May 24 16:00-17:30 UTC+2

SessionAbstract

In recent years, tens of millions of people have been affected by humanitarian crises in urban settings across the globe, including Marawi, Aleppo and Port-au-Prince. However, unique security risks can be a significant constraint on access to these populations.

This session builds off a recent paper exploring this issue, ‘Good Practices, lessons learned, and the unique challenges affecting security risk management in urban humanitarian responses.’ The paper was published by the Global Interagency Security Forum in January 2024.

This session will unpack some of the key contextual elements humanitarians encounter in urban settings and the security risk management (SRM) implications of these dynamics, such as high population density, diverse populations, the prevalence of urban violence and crime and intense political activity. It will also offer an opportunity to share ideas on new approaches to account for the ‘urbanisation’ trend, including the need to increase sector dialogue on urban SRM approaches, further support urban security collaboration, and adapt acceptance approaches meet the specific challenges.

Speakers

Rob Grace, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Boston University
Shashwat Saraf, Regional Emergency Director - East Africa at International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Roman Antoni Cioma, Security Specialist - Ukraine at UN Women