Before you go!

ACFID endeavours to be a leader in information in the international development sector. We provide sector update, breaking insights, thought pieces and technical analysis to our members and the sector more broadly.

Please note that only those with member status in our CRM will receive member only communications. Members must use their professional email to gain this status.

Sector News – A fortnightly newsletter featuring general sector news, aid and development activity, and employment vacancies.

Sector Events – Ad-Hoc communication sent to a national and international audience. This newsletter ensures its recipients are up to date on events available to them, both online and face-to-face, spanning a wide range of topics relevant to the humanitarian aid and development sector.

ACFID’s Annual National Conference – Ad-hoc communications about ACFID’s Annual National Conference. Subscribers will receive promotion about the event, including first announcements, speaker and sponsor updates, ticket pricing and discounts, logistics, etc.

The Weekly (Member Only) – A weekly communication sent to ACFID members, featuring breaking insights, thought pieces and technical analysis, important meetings and events to attend, tasks to action, key employment vacancies, and a message from our partner(s).

Learning (Member Only) – Ad-Hoc communication which aims to build sector capability so that Australia has a high performing development and humanitarian sector that delivers for the stakeholders it serves.

Media (Member Only) – Ad-Hoc communication aiming to keep the membership informed of relevant media releases, interviews, and other key pieces of publicity.

Policy & Advocacy (Member Only) – Ad-Hoc communication aiming to work with government to foster an open, accountable and fair enabling environment for international development and humanitarian practice.

Code & Standards (Member Only) – Ad-Hoc communication about ACFIDs Code of Conduct. The ACFID Code of Conduct sets a benchmark for good practice in the Australian NGO community, as well as being an organisational effectiveness and learning tool.

Home 5 Our Focus 5 Take Humanitarian Action for Those in Greatest Need

Our Focus

Taking Humanitarian Action for Those in Greatest Need

A man and his young boy work on a rope-making machine.

Baptist World Aid’s local Partner in Nepal supported Kamta and his wife to grow a rope-making business that provides a steady income for their family. Photo: Baptist World Aid

Australia must affirm a global focus for humanitarian action, ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those in greatest need, and take a multifaceted approach to addressing protracted crises.

In 2024, nearly 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection due to the compounding and cascading nature of new and existing conflicts, climate emergencies and protracted crises.

The Australian Government’s decision to prioritise its development assistance to the Asia-Pacific region must not limit the provision of humanitarian assistance globally, especially to countries where the need or risk is greatest. This is important in the context of escalating global humanitarian needs, particulraly in the Middle East and Africa.

Read more about how ACFID is advancing humanitarian action by reading our Advocacy Agenda.

ACFID’s current humanitarian advocacy

The ACFID Humanitarian Reference Group (HRG) is the independent voice of humanitarian agencies in Australia that conducts policy and advocacy work to address the above issues. The HRG is made up of ACFID’s members with significant operational involvement in humanitarian response, who have the capacity to contribute to the activities of the HRG It provides a mechanism for ACFID members working in international humanitarian assistance to share information, strengthen coordination, advocate to strengthen humanitarian response and engage in policy dialogue with DFAT. HRG members work across a range of areas including protracted crises, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian effectiveness, civil-military engagement, and protection.

Humanitarian Resources

Cover of Same Space Different Mandates Book. Features a picture of a man kayaking down a flooded street.

Same Space – Different Mandates: A Civil-Military-Police Guide for Stakeholders in International Disaster and Conflict Response

Same Space – Different Mandates is a joint ACMC / ACFID guide created to assist Australian responders to understand the various mandates (Civil-Military-Police) involved in international disaster and conflict response. The guide is written from an Australian perspective and is relevant to government, military, police and civil society organisations in the Indo-Pacific Region and the wider international community.