Humanitarian Fault Lines IIHA Fordham University

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Larry Hollingworth. Jamie served as the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory on an interim basis from January through early April. Larry is a visiting professor for the IIHA with an extensive resume. He spent decades with the UN after a career with the British Army, serving as a Coordinator in several places including Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. His book is titled Aid Memoir. The two discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Jamie shares his experience with coordinating aid to the area and the challenges humanitarians are facing as they respond to the crisis. Larry and Jamie also talk about a possible invasion of Rafah, communication between humanitarians and Israeli officials, and mental health needs that will persist for years even after the crisis ends.

Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Dr. Francis Deng. He has served in the United Nations as South Sudan's first independent ambassador and spent time as Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide. He’s also served as Ambassador of Sudan to Nordic Countries, Canada, and the United States and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Francis has written and edited dozens of books, including “War of Visions: Conflict of Identities in the Sudan.” Jamie and Dr. Deng discuss conflict and crises in Sudan and South Sudan. Dr. Deng explains issues in South Sudan and offers what he believes are solutions to improve the lives of people in the country. Jamie asks him about the civil war in Sudan. Dr. Deng says there are flaws in how the international community approaches the conflict in the country, and he argues for a more nuanced approach to finding a resolution. Dr. Deng also offers criticism of UN peacekeepers and the role they’ve played in the region.

The second part of Jamie McGoldrick's conversation with Dr. Arif Husain, Chief Economist & Director of Research, Assessments & Monitoring Division at United Nations World Food at WFP. The conversation was recorded in late 2023. Jamie asks Dr. Husain how the WFP responds during conflicts, including the current one in Gaza. Jamie also asks about funding cuts which are forcing the organization to make difficult decisions on where to allocate resources. Jamie and Dr. Husain discuss the growing number of people facing hunger and famine, and how the humanitarian world can better respond. Dr. Husain emphasizes that governments and the private sector need to step up in the battle against food insecurity.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Dr. Arif Husain, Chief Economist & Director of Research, Assessments & Monitoring Division at United Nations World Food at WFP. The conversation was recorded in late 2023. Jamie asks Dr. Husain how the WFP responds during conflicts, including the current one in Gaza. Jamie also asks about funding cuts which are forcing the organization to make difficult decisions on where to allocate resources. Jamie and Dr. Husain discuss the growing number of people facing hunger and famine, and how the humanitarian world can better respond. Dr. Husain emphasizes that governments and the private sector need to step up in the battle against food insecurity.

Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Andrew Harper, Special Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees on Climate Action at the United Nations. The conversation was recorded late in 2023. A big part of Andrew’s job is anticipating where climate shocks will happen so the UN has a plan in place ahead of time. He tells Jamie that climate events require a complex response, explaining that people can be displaced, shelter destroyed, and supply lines disrupted. Jamie asks Andrew about the term “climate refugees.” The UNHCR doesn’t use that phrasing, instead opting to go with different language when people are displaced from a climate event. Andrew emphasizes that the private sector needs to step up when it comes to dealing with climate change. He says there’s currently not enough funding to deal with climate preparedness.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Yuval Shany. He’s a lecturer in Public International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Senior Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. He has published an essay titled “Unpacking Key Assumptions Underlying Legal Analyses of the 2023 Hamas-Israel War.” Jamie and Yuval spoke in early December about the conflict, with Yuval giving legal interpretations for Israel’s actions since Hamas’ attack on October 7th. He acknowledges that some of the actions Israel has taken are questionable under international law, but he says in any violent conflict, there are actions which are not fully compatible with the law. Yuval says Israel does accept the laws of war and has made efforts to limit the loss of civilian lives, including giving advance notice of attacks so civilians could leave certain areas. Jamie asks Yuval what his response is to those who say Israel is blatantly violating international and humanitarian law. The two also discuss the UN’s reputation in Israel, the possibility for more humanitarian ceasefires, and what the future could look like for Gaza.