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A new era of humanitarian action

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Start Fund: Tropical storm response, Somalia, 2018

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Alert 300 case study

19Feb20

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Mongolian Dzud

11Feb20

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Crisis anticipation online training launched

29Jan20

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Start Network to support five ‘founding hubs’ to drive localisation of aid

14Jan20

About us

A new era of humanitarian action

Start Network is made up of more than 40 aid agencies across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to national NGOs. Together, our aim is to transform humanitarian action through innovation, fast funding, early action, and localisation.
We're tackling what we believe are the biggest systemic problems that the sector faces - problems including slow and reactive funding, centralised decision-making, and an aversion to change, means that people affected by crises around the world, do not receive the best help fast enough, and needless suffering results.
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Localisation

We believe that a more balanced international aid system, which shifts power to those closest to the front-line, will generate more effective and appropriate responses for people affected by crises.

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New froms of financing

New forms of financing

Our pooled funds enable fast and early action to tackle the kind of crises that are often overlooked by other funding mechanisms. Our risk financing pilots are introducing new ways of working that can save even more lives.

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Collective innovation

New ways of working are needed to tackle the challenges we face. By innovating collectively we can share expertise, insights and perspectives to shape a more effective humanitarian system.

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An international network

Today the Start Network extends to over 40 members and their 7000 partner organisations, employing more than a quarter of a million people across 200 countries and territories.
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Latest news

Blog Post

Alert 300 case study

The space of forecast-based and anticipatory action is predominantly made up of organisations acting in anticipation of natural disasters or famine. What makes Start Network stand out against other organisations is our ability to also act in anticipation of man-made or conflict-related crises. The way in which Start Network operates through its network of aid agencies enables us to tap into an established operational presence in these highly sensitive contexts, which ensures that information for anticipation programming is readily available and our interventions are highly contextualised.

19Feb20

Blog Post

Merging modelling and early action:

We spoke to Dr Erica Thompson from the London School of Economics about her work with Start Network on anticipating crises.

18Feb20

Blog Post

Mongolian Dzud

Mongolia is unique. 30% of the population earn their livelihoods from herding livestock, leading a traditional nomadic life to enable their animals to access pasture throughout the year. Weather conditions can be extremely harsh, with long, stormy winters where temperatures can drop as low as -40C or -50C. Herders, and therefore the wider Mongolia economy are vulnerable to the impacts of extreme winter weather. Dry summers can mean livestock do not gain the weight needed to survive winter, combined with harsh conditions this can cause mass livestock mortality known as ‘dzud’.

11Feb20

Blog Post

The localisation of humanitarian action in the Pacific

In April 2017, the Start Network published a seminal piece of research on the seven dimensions of localisation. This piece of work has influenced many in the sector as they develop their own understanding of localisation and its future direction. Most recently has been some work by the Humanitarian Advisory Group (HAG). Here, Josie Flint from HAG speaks about the work they have been doing and the influence that the Start Network has had on this.

05Feb20

Latest resources

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Mongolia: anticipation of harsh winter

Mongolia is unique. 30% of the population earn their livelihoods from herding livestock, leading a traditional nomadic life to enable their animals to access pasture throughout the year. Weather conditions can be extremely harsh, with long, stormy winters where temperatures can drop as low as -40C or -50C. Herders, and therefore the wider Mongolia economy, are vulnerable to the impacts of extreme winter weather. Dry summers can mean livestock do not gain the weight needed to survive winter, combined with harsh conditions this can cause mass livestock mortality known as ‘dzud’.

11Feb20

Resource

Monthly Risk Briefing: February 2020

The monthly risk briefing reports on new, emerging or deteriorating situations; therefore, ongoing events that are considered to be unchanged are not featured and risks that are beyond the scope and scale of the Start Fund are also not featured. It is collated by the Start Network Anticipation team using information from academia and research institutes, government departments, ACAPS, global risk indexes, risk information provided by Start Members and their partners, and the media. Key risks are shared and collated each month with FOREWARN input.

10Feb20

Resource

MIGRATION EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND HANDBOOK

This handbook is for MERF members, from headquarters to in-country staff. The handbook is a guide to the most up-to-date processes, systems, and governance mechanisms which enable the MERF to operate. It is a live document and will be continuously updated based on experience and feedback.

07Feb20

Resource

Start Network Strategy 2020-22

Start Network’s vision is for a proactive, innovative and locally-owned humanitarian system in which people receive better quality humanitarian aid, maintain their dignity and are protected from suffering and harm. 

22Jan20

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Start Network members