Responsible Partnerships? Risk, protection & local actors in the Ukraine humanitarian response

As violence against frontline communities in Ukraine persists, international humanitarian actors face challenges in establishing their presence. Due to security risks, they rely heavily on local formal and informal response mechanisms for urgent frontline work. These mechanisms include National Non-Government Organizations (NNGOs), self-organized volunteer collectives, and community activists who continue to deliver aid and provide services in high-risk settings.

While some partnerships between International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and local actors are formalized in signed agreements, the bulk of emergency aid for the most affected communities is delivered by informal networks and community groups. These groups are mostly staffed by volunteers who are willing to shoulder extreme risks to ensure hard-to-reach communities have access to essential humanitarian aid and services. They are sometimes less restricted in their access and take on a disproportionate share of the risk required to support the most vulnerable communities and individuals.

The international community is not adequately equipping and supporting these local response mechanisms through the resources, both physical and structural, needed to stay safe and to sustain their essential humanitarian work.