VOICE EU

What role does communication play in rebuilding public trust in humanitarian action? In this interview, Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, shares how DG ECHO (EU in Emergencies) and the European Commission balance visibility of EU action with respect for the dignity and autonomy of people receiving humanitarian assistance. She also underlines the importance of human-centered communication, amplifying local voices, and promoting credible, nuanced humanitarian narratives. Her reflections highlight how the EU strives to ensure that humanitarian action is both transparent and accountable, showing not just hardship, but also resilience and agency. 🎯 This interview is featured in VOICE Out Loud #39. Each week we share highlights from the issue. Read the full interview here: https://bit.ly/4oTUUEs Jasna Pajnkihar

Welcome to the Team, Luana! ✨ We’re thrilled to have you join the team and contribute to our shared mission!

📍 From Lessons to Action: Shaping the EU’s Humanitarian and Development Agenda! On 30 October, VOICE and Global Focus co-hosted a high-level roundtable in Copenhagen to shape the EU’s humanitarian and development agenda. As Denmark prepares to assume the EU Council Presidency, discussions focused on integrating fragility into EU policies, strengthening anticipatory action, and ensuring principled, predictable, and flexible funding. The event concluded with the launch of Global Focus’s new report on financing modalities in Denmark’s development aid 👉 https://lnkd.in/dAwXjg59 Maria Groenewald, VOICE Director, underlined that for these debates to matter, they must translate into tangible outcomes for people living in crisis. At VOICE, we are committed to feeding these discussions into the EU’s upcoming Communication on Humanitarian Aid and the development of its Integrated Approach to Fragility. 🎥 Watch the video below to hear Maria’s three key takeaways from the roundtable. 👏 Shout out to Francesca Giubilo, Judith B. and the team at Global Focus for the successful event!

#AllEyesOnSudan Civilians in Al-Fashir, North Darfur, are paying the highest price. After months of siege and relentless violence, humanitarian aid cannot reach those in need. 🎥 VOICE President Pauline Chetcuti calls on the EU and Member States to use every diplomatic lever to uphold international humanitarian law and secure access to humanitarian action. #Sudan #HumanitarianCrisis #AlFashir 📽️🙏 Maria Groenewald

🔴 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗻: 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿 The situation in Al Fashir, North Darfur, is catastrophic. After months of siege, the city has fallen to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), triggering widespread violence, including ethnic and gender-based attacks. Thousands of civilians remain trapped without food, water or medicine. Hospitals, neighborhoods and displacement sites are under fire, while humanitarian access is severely restricted. VOICE and its members call on the EU and its Member States to protect civilians, uphold international humanitarian law, and guarantee humanitarian access. Read our full news article, which we will continue updating with statements from our members: https://bit.ly/47ux0rN

INTERSOS is horrified by the reports of widespread attacks, heavy shelling and ground assault on the city of El Fasher in North Darfur. Already for over 500 days, an estimated 2.8 million people in and outside El Fasher have been trapped under siege, facing severe and deteriorating humanitarian situation, with high levels of forced displacement, massive shortages of food supplies, water, and medical care, and restricted access to humanitarian aid. Multiple credible reports on suffering of civilians include reports of children being killed, injured, traumatised or joining fighters, as well as early marriages of girls in exchange for food. In accordance with international humanitarian law, attacks on civilians, hospitals and other civilian targets – must cease immediately. Humanitarian corridors must be established immediately to allow for evacuation of civilians and inflow of essential humanitarian supplies. Funding should be urgently scaled up to enable life-saving assistance. INTERSOS teams in Tawila are mobilising to provide the necessary assistance for the newly displaced people who arrived at the reception centre.

💧 When water becomes a lifeline in times of fragility! During the VOICE visit to southern Lebanon last week, we met Ahmad Moustafa , WASH and Emergency Program Manager with Action Against Hunger - Middle East who showed us two impressive examples of how humanitarian action can strengthen resilience: 💡 A solarised water pumping system (picture 1) that secures a sustainable energy source to keep water flowing to local communities despite Lebanon’s chronic power cuts. 🚰 A regional water infrastructure that distributes water to over 40 villages (picture 3) - supported by a digital ‘SCADA’ system (picture 2) that monitors water quality and manages the network remotely. When conflict escalated along the border, this system meant that operations could continue, ensuring families still had access to safe water. Yet, the overall situation remains dire. In southern Lebanon, years of underinvestment, outdated networks and now conflict-related destruction have left thousands facing water shortages. ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM, Oxfam and Insecurity Insight’s report “When Bombs Turn the Taps Off” documented how the latest escalation severely damaged critical water infrastructure, worsening an already fragile situation. These projects show what’s possible when humanitarian actors receive long-term, flexible support. To truly break the cycle of fragility, the EU and its Member States must commit to sustained engagement and a strong Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) Nexus approach in Lebanon and other fragile contexts. 📍 Lebanon reminds us that building resilience is not a one-off project; it’s a long-term partnership with communities living in fragile contexts. #HumanitarianAction #Resilience #Lebanon ▶️When Bombs Turn the Taps Off https://lnkd.in/e94kAx2Z 📷&💬Marion Granger

At #AidEx2025, VOICE hosted the discussion: 🎙️ Humanitarian Truth Under Fire – Tackling Disinformation and Misinformation in Crises. In a packed room in Geneva, speakers Jaqueline Dalton (Fondation Hirondelle), Anne Reitsema (Medair), and Mike Walton (UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency) joined VOICE Director Maria Groenewald to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing humanitarian actors today: ➡️ How to protect trust, truth, and access in an age of information manipulation. From community radio in fragile contexts to AI-driven misinformation online, the panel shared honest insights, field realities, and one clear message: 💬 “Information is aid.” When false narratives undermine humanitarian principles, collaboration across NGOs, media, and digital actors is essential. Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation at #AidEx2025 and to our inspiring speakers for reminding us that protecting truth means protecting lives. 📹 Missed it? Watch the highlights and soundbites from the panel on our Instagram feed. AidEx - The Global Humanitarian Aid Community #HumanitarianAction #Misinformation #Disinformation #AI

“Disinformation doesn’t just distort facts — it changes realities on the ground.” Today at #AidEx2025, VOICE is hosting a panel on Humanitarian Truth Under Fire – Tackling Disinformation and Misinformation in Crises, with speakers from Fondation Hirondelle, Medair, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Exploring how false narratives threaten humanitarian principles and how collaboration across media, NGOs, and digital actors can restore trust! #Disinformation #HumanitarianAction #TruthUnderFire