The humanitarian response to Russia’s war in Ukraine has been deeply influenced by narratives that shape perceptions and decisions.
The latest research from ODI’s Humanitarian Policy Group, in collaboration with Open Space Works Ukraine and Migration Consortium, and supported by British Red Cross, dissects narratives around the war, from solidarity and vulnerability, to resilience and recovery. Practical implications of these narratives have included challenges to humanitarian principles and barriers to refugees’ long-term integration.
Some key takeaways:
• Humanitarian responses to Russia’s war in Ukraine have been influenced by narratives of solidarity, shaping perceptions of who deserves aid and complicating discussions around neutrality in humanitarian action.
• Competing portrayals of Ukrainians as vulnerable and resilient create a complex dynamicthat humanitarian organisations must navigate, emphasising the need to accurately reflectthe diverse realities of affected communities.
• The crisis is viewed by many as a success story for localisation, yet there is a tension between this narrative and local civil society experiences, suggesting a need for international actors to reflect more critically on the localisation of the response.
Narratives of recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine have contributed much-needed
optimism but risk drawing attention away from ongoing humanitarian needs.
Read on in the report: “Narratives and the Ukraine response: implications for humanitarian action and principles”.
