GLOBAL | "Who defines our needs?": Aligning measured and perceived humanitarian needs | Recently, as part of its commitment to
supporting more people-centred humanitarian responses, IMPACT has worked on a
cross-crisis analysis to compare findings from Multi-Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs) need severity analysis with communities’ perspectives.
When communities are asked directly about their highest priorities, access to sufficient food consistently emerges as a top concern, whether through food distribution, nutrition support, or livelihoods assistance. While other deprivations, such as those related to WASH or shelter, may also be mentioned by affected communities, food-related issues are almost always cited as a key priority, even in areas where the MSNA does not classify them among the most critical needs. These differences can stem from factors like gender, timing of data collection, and familiarity with the aid system, but they also reflect something deeper.
| | These differences matter and should be taken into account.
People's perceptions of their needs and priorities should be a key pillar in how aid is designed and prioritised. At the same time, continuing to measure levels of deprivation through structured assessments remains critical to ensure fair and needs-based resource allocation. These two approaches offer distinct but complementary value: rigorous data helps compare levels of deprivation and vulnerability across groups and geographies, while people’s perspectives reveal what matters most to them and how they believe aid can help. Both are essential to building responses that are not only evidence-based but also grounded in the lived experiences of affected communities.
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| SUDAN | Two years of war: An updated picture of the humanitarian impact | Two years into the conflict,
Sudan is now one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Needs have escalated dramatically, driven by the collapse of infrastructure, eroded coping capacities, and widespread displacement. The country was already fragile before April 2023, but since then, the crisis’ scale and severity has surged. Half the population is now acutely food insecure, with
famine being declared in parts of North Darfur and the Western Nuba Mountains, while many other areas are at risk of famine.
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