According to key informants from civil societies and local governments serving pastoral populations, international humanitarian action often fails to meet pastoralists’ needs or requires pastoralists to adapt their strategies to receive assistance.
This desk study reviews how the international humanitarian system approaches pastoralists’ needs in times of crisis.
The study also examines the common perceptions of pastoralism among humanitarians and how these perceptions create mismatches between pastoral needs and humanitarian approaches.
A final discussion will provide potential avenues toward removing barriers and promoting new dynamics to incorporate pastoralists and their unique needs into the humanitarian system.
This desk study is part of a three-year project* on pastoral areas of the Sudano-Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa. The project focuses on how early warning systems and humanitarian responses in pastoral areas can be more aligned to the realities and local needs of communities, thereby improving the lives and livelihoods of pastoralists.
*This project was funded by USAID and terminated on February 26, 2025.
