Special Episode: Every Crisis is Political – Redefining Humanitarian Response

This Week in Global Development
Date: April 14, 2026
Host: Kate Warren (Devex)
Guests:

• Jean Kimatare (Program Director, Urgent Action Fund Africa)
• Jani Tome (Grant Making Managing Officer, Urgent Action Fund)
• Dr. Lucy Martin (Lead Researcher, Center for Applied Human Rights, University of York)

Episode Overview

This special edition explores the premise that “Every Crisis is Political,” challenging longstanding concepts of neutrality within humanitarian aid. The discussion centers on new research from the Urgent Action Sister Funds and the University of York, presenting the Feminist Crisis Response Model—a justice-driven, flexible, and grassroots-based approach for responding to crises, from prevention to transformation. The episode unpacks why intersecting feminist movements with crisis response is not just the right thing to do, but a more effective way to address ongoing global emergencies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Every Crisis is Political

• Host Kate Warren sets the tone: “Crises don't happen in a vacuum...they're shaped by history, by power, by who gets resources, by who doesn't.” (00:52)
• Neutrality in the aid system is a “myth”; treating crises as neutral risks repeating the same patterns creating vulnerability.
• Grassroots feminist movements, out of necessity, have always recognized the political nature of crises.

2. Introducing the Feminist Crisis Response Model

• Jean Kimatare outlines the network of Urgent Action Sister Funds, their 27 years of crisis response, and partnership with academia to codify what works on the ground. (03:21)
• The research captures real-world learning from feminist activists and organizations who are always "first in, last out" in crisis zones.

3. Contrasting Traditional and Feminist Crisis Response

• Dr. Lucy Martin: Framework was created to respond to a world in “perma-crisis”—multiple, overlapping, ongoing emergencies. (05:42)
  • “The solutions to perma-crisis already exist. Feminist movements are already effectively responding.” (06:24)
• Jani Tome describes core differences: (07:14)
  • Crisis as Continuum: Crises aren’t just events but products of long-term systemic issues like colonialism, patriarchy, and economic injustice.
  • Who Responds: Shifting from external, large agencies to empowering grassroots, embedded, and accountable local actors.
  • What Response Aims For: Moving beyond “stabilization” and survival to transformation and addressing root causes.
  • Notable quote:
    “Instead of asking what just happened? [feminist response] asks what made this inevitable or whom is most impacted by it.” – Jani Tome (08:05)

4. Rejecting the Myth of Neutrality

• Jean: "It's a myth...We are putting across the politicized response to any crisis...to actually address the structural roots." (10:32)
• Dr. Lucy Martin: Neutrality can become a “trap”—treating crises as neutral or technical, aid can be weaponized or used to uphold unjust power structures.
  • Examples: conflicts in Myanmar, Gaza, Syria, Sudan where aid is manipulated for political control. (13:42)
  • Notable quote:
    “If humanitarian actors are responding in a way that treats crises like they're neutral...it leaves them without the tools...to address the fact that the root causes of crises are grounded in political choices.” (14:46)

5. What it Means to Resource Across the Continuum

• Importance of supporting communities before, during, and after crises.
• Jani: Grassroots movements “don’t enter a crisis as outsiders.” Their proximity means they can better predict and prepare, build infrastructure (including “underground communication”), and adapt post-crisis for healing and policy change. (16:25)
• Donors need to support unregistered, nascent, or marginal groups, even if risk or track record is unclear.

6. Funding Gaps and Structural Problems in Philanthropy

• Dr. Lucy Martin: Current data shows 90% of crisis funds go towards immediate relief, only 1% to preparedness, 2% to reconstruction, and 1% to risk reduction. (20:56)
  • “That data is so stark…just showing up over the long term…would make such a huge difference.” (21:27)
• Donor practices—project cycles, risk management, and reporting—systematically exclude the smallest and often the most effective groups.

7. Intersectionality as a Metric, Not Just a Value

• Jean: Aid often leaves out marginalized communities—domestic workers, caregivers, sex workers, LGBTQI, children, etc.—because big organizations aren’t grounded or intersectional enough. (22:11)
• Lucy:
  • Rethinking scale—not about a single, top-down model, but “multi-solving,” i.e., many context-relevant solutions. (30:53)
  • Call for better data disaggregation, recognizing not all needs or impacts are captured by traditional metrics.
  • Focus on intangible resources—care, connection, solidarity—as central to effective crisis response.

8. Power, Risk, and Trust

• Shifting from risk-averse behavior (demanding receipts, long reporting), to recognizing the real risk is communities being unsupported and activists burning out. (26:35–30:13)
• Jean: “Working with smaller players is not risk, it is necessary, it is life saving.” (24:29)
• Jani:
  • “A lot of donors...risk assessment...is extremely, I would say safe...The least [donors] can do is inherit just a little bit of that [risk].”
  • “The risk is when activists are not able to survive...their community that is going to not be able to sustain itself.” (26:35–30:13)

9. Final Takeaways for the Global Development Community

Power and Justice

• Jean:
  • A justice-centered approach means “ceding your own power, reconceptualizing risk, finding ways to be grounded in community.” (35:45)
  • "Let's all reflect on a justice centered approach. It's not the easiest, but it's the most effective approach." (36:57)

On Being (and Getting) Political

• Jani:
  • “The root causes of all of these crises...is in fact political. It comes from patriarchy, authoritarianism, racism, colonialism.” (37:42)
  • Urges donors to make funding accessible, trust communities, and be bold in face of political discomfort (39:44)
  • “Just not being bullied by political powers to not do the right thing.” (39:44)

On Funding Modalities and Mindset Shifts

• Jean: “If you just look at one thing, the modalities of funding, and think about how would I turn risk and power question in this, therein lies the response.” (40:27)
• Dr. Lucy Martin:
  • Calling for two core mindset shifts: recognizing crises are political (evidence-based), and shifting from crisis management to systemic transformation. (41:23)
  • “So much of crisis response at the moment is shaped by the donor...Instead, we need to totally flip this mindset...to one where resourcing is being shaped by movements and being responsive to movements’ needs.” (41:23)

Final Framing

• Kate Warren (host):
  • “Every funding decision, every response framework, every even definition of who counts as a beneficiary—those are political choices...this model is really asking us to make those choices consciously with justice at the center.” (42:40)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Feminist movements are already effectively responding. And this is simply about effectively resourcing and scaling this work.” — Dr. Lucy Martin (06:24)
• “Crisis is a continuum. What looks like a sudden emergency is often a visible rupture of much longer histories.” — Jani Tome (08:15)
• “[Neutrality] leaves [humanitarian actors] without the tools...to address the fact that the root causes of crises are...political choices.” — Dr. Lucy Martin (14:46)
• “Working with smaller players is not risk, it is necessary, it is life saving.” — Jean Kimatare (24:29)
• “The risk is not being able to collect receipts...the real risk is when activists are not able to survive.” — Jani Tome (29:37)
• “Let's all reflect on a justice centered approach. It's not the easiest, but it's the most effective.” — Jean Kimatare (36:57)
• “It doesn't matter how much money we’re able to send...if [communities] cannot access that.” — Jani Tome (39:47)
• “Every funding decision...is a political choice...This model is really asking us to make those choices consciously with justice at the center.” — Kate Warren (42:40)

Important Timestamps

• 00:52 – Opening theme: “Every Crisis is Political”
• 03:21 – Background on Urgent Action Fund research partnership
• 05:42 – Why the traditional system falls short; hope in feminist approaches
• 07:14 – Key differences between traditional and feminist crisis responses
• 10:32 – Neutrality is a myth
• 13:42 – How neutrality enables weaponization of aid
• 16:25 – Supporting the whole crisis continuum; examples from Iran, Syria
• 20:56 – Stark funding figures: where crisis money actually goes
• 22:11 – Intersectionality, context, and speed in aid
• 26:35 – Risk and why donors need to rethink their frameworks
• 30:53 – Intersectionality as a metric; rethinking impact
• 35:45 – Power, justice, and key takeaways
• 41:23 – Mindset shifts needed in crisis response

Conclusion and Report Access

The episode calls for a fundamental rethinking of crisis response—rooted in intersectionality, powered by feminist movements, and committed to justice and transformation rather than mere management. Listeners are encouraged to find and read the full Feminist Crisis Response Model report (launch April 26) for a deeper dive into the research and strategies discussed.

Find the full report at the Urgent Action Sister Funds or the Center for Applied Human Rights (University of York); see links in episode show notes.