The Humanitarian-Development Nexus: Humanitarian Principles, Practice, and Pragmatics

This article delves into the complexities and challenges associated with the humanitarian-development nexus, increasingly considered a solution to managing crises and war-to-peace transitions. It explores the distinct discourses and institutional structures of humanitarian action and development assistance, highlighting the difficulties in juxtaposing these two segments of the international system. The article investigates how the nexus, endorsed by policymakers, affects and challenges both humanitarianism's imminent needs-based approaches building on established humanitarian principles and development's long-term, rights-based strategies. This resource focuses on the discursive transition from conflict to reconstruction in Northern Uganda, providing a case study that illustrates the formation and effects of the humanitarian-development nexus at the grassroots level. It examines how humanitarian organizations respond differently to this transition, showcasing pragmatic approaches to humanitarian principles and contributing to the bottom-up formation of the nexus, potentially exacerbating mission creep. This resource is for policymakers, humanitarian organizations, and scholars interested in understanding the intricacies of the humanitarian-development nexus, its challenges, and its impact on the ground.