Humanitarian Mediation

HD’s Humanitarian Mediation team operates in hard-to-reach areas across the globe, where humanitarian and diplomatic channels are most constrained. In many conflicts, armed groups control territory beyond the reach of formal institutions. HD draws on its political credibility, long-standing relationships, and ability to engage across divides to create space for humanitarian and health action in these environments.

Because HD can engage on political and security issues, it is able to support concrete humanitarian outcomes: access for aid and health services, protection arrangements for civilians, and workable operating conditions for humanitarian actors. This work relies on discreet, sustained engagement with armed actors, in close coordination with UN agencies, global health initiatives, and humanitarian partners.

What this looks like in practice?

• Maintaining long-term relationships that allow humanitarian access to be sustained over time

• Negotiating access and security arrangements for vaccination and health campaigns in contested or hard-to-reach areas

• Engaging non-state armed actors to clarify ground rules for humanitarian operations

• Unblocking local operational constraints that prevent aid delivery or service provision

• Supporting UN agencies and NGOs to navigate sensitive political and security dynamics