NEADS representative Mr Tirtha Prasad Saikia with flood assisted community
NEADS representative Mr Tirtha Prasad Saikia with flood assisted community © Start Network

India Humanitarian Hub

The India Humanitarian Hub (IHH) prioritises locally led action and leadership by bringing together local, national, and international humanitarian agencies that are operational in India.

The India Humanitarian Hub aspires to act in ways that are beyond the scope and culture of the current humanitarian architecture, which include the engagement of more local and national humanitarian actors and exploring innovative programmes. To achieve these changes, the hub is built upon three pillars:

  • Knowledge and innovation
  • Locally led action
  • New funding and financing mechanisms

2021 Progress

 

Many networks in India are national-level networks, so the hub has spent time engaging with sub-national organisations and networks, primarily through direct relationship building and outreach to grow trust and understanding. This enabled the hub to bring together diverse stakeholders and has encouraged a decentralised approach, leading to a strong network of sub-national organisations within the hub.

The India Hub also pushed for its donors to consider funding local organisations. As a result, the hub has established strong relationships with the leads of local groups, and they have been able to share their knowledge on assessments, information, and approaches.

I am also aware of the inequity in access that exists within the sector. That can be dealt with by continuing to invest in and harness the abilities of local organisations, which Start Network is committed to.

MANU GUPTA, Co-Founder, Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS). SEEDS is part of the moderating team in the India Humanitarian Hub.

Future plans

 

Over the coming year, the India Hub plans to:

  • Set up an innovation hub to support locally led humanitarian innovation in India. This programme will focus on supporting innovators to adapt and learn from past attempts and pivot their innovations to better support communities affected by or at risk of crises.
  • Establish a secretariat outside India’s standard “centres” of action to deepen sub-national engagement. The secretariat will then be able to engage more closely with local actors across different regions in the country.
  • Support local organisations to have a greater voice, visibility, and access to funding.

 

THE HUB LEADERSHIP IN INDIA

 

Moderating Team:

Anjan Bag, Caritas India

Sanjay Pandey, Yuganter

Tirtha Prasad Saikia, NEADS

Vijayalakshmi Arora, Catholic Relief Services

Sudhanshu Singh, Humanitarian Aid International

Mihir Joshi, SEEDS

Bhanu Pratap Mall, PGVS

Joseph Sahayam, CASA