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Helpdesk Research Report: Relationship between humanitarian and development aid

Attachments

Question

What is the recent mainstream and influential literature on the relationship between humanitarian and development aid, particularly on transition and bridging gaps? Provide an overview of the main conclusion and issues, suggested approaches, and knowledge gaps.

Contents

  1. Overview

  2. Trends in the literature and evidence gaps

  3. Challenges to linking humanitarian and development aid

  4. Opportunities and approaches

  5. References

  6. Overview

This rapid research report identifies literature on the relationship between humanitarian and development aid. The concept of linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD) emerged in the 1990s when practitioners identified a funding gap between humanitarian assistance, relief, and development activities. Since then, agencies, academics and practitioners have attempted to find ways of reconciling the humanitarian-development nexus to provide both effective humanitarian relief, and sustainable medium- and long-term development action. The basic premise of LRRD is the need to link and create synergies between short-term relief measures, with longer term development programmes. It reflects the belief that humanitarian need, poverty and state fragility are inter-related and often occur concurrently (Otto and Weingärtner 2013).