Western populism is a fundamental threat to the humanitarian system

The mandates of UK and US governments could jeopardise the impartiality of aid, international humanitarian law and hard-won reforms in the sector Brexit and Donald Trump’s election as the next president of the United States present clear risks to the system of international humanitarian response. The rise of populism seems bent on politicising aid even more than it is now, putting Dunantist ideals of impartial aid to their greatest test. If humanitarians fail to react early and in earnest,