2025 was marked by the highest number ever recorded of attacks against humanitarian workers in their line of duty, amounting to 950 incidents recorded – 329 killed, 104 kidnapped, 182 wounded and 335 arrested according to the Aid Worker Security Database. In recent years, the trend has only been upwards, and these rising attacks against humanitarian personnel are further hindering the delivery of vital humanitarian aid.
In an era marked by escalating threats to humanitarian action, that range from direct violence against personnel to disinformation campaigns, criminalization of essential activities, and political barriers that impede principled response, the need for a united and evidence-driven approach has never been greater. This online session will introduce the HOPES Project – Humanitarian Opportunities: Protect Engage and Stand For, a new initiative, funded by DG ECHO, that examines the political and legal drivers of insecurity affecting humanitarian operations worldwide. The session will outline the project’s two core areas of focus: the criminalization of humanitarian action, the impact of harmful narratives on humanitarian space and the interconnexion between the two.
This session will be an interactive discussion with participants on identifying: · The trends regarding criminalization of humanitarian action and harmful information environments; the main contexts where these 2 phenomena are preventing humanitarian organizations to operate safely such as legal constraints encountered, policy or political measures adopted by State authorities or non-State armed groups, funding or compliance decisions affecting humanitarian operations. · How disinformation/misinformation and criminalization are interconnected? · Concrete avenues for collaboration, especially in analyzing the impact of laws affecting humanitarian assistance, and to gather partners’ views on complementary initiatives to strengthen joint assessment and engagement on criminalization and disinformation.
Speakers: · Jean-Raphael Poitou - Acción contra el Hambre - Advocacy Desk Officer · Camille Gosselin - Action contre la Faim - Head of Humanitarian Advocacy on Conflict and Hunger · Clara de Solages - Insecurity Insight - Research Analyst · Lise Salavert - HOPES project - Advocacy Project Coordinator | 
