Why Conflict Sensitivity Is Essential for Building an Effective and Sustainable Humanitarian Response

For years, we have worked to integrate this approach into our programmes. In July, a roundtable in Kyiv brought together experts, organisations, and donors to discuss the specific challenges of the Ukrainian context and propose recommendations for a more effective and responsible response.

When operating in contexts affected by war, conflict, crises, or deep social divisions, it is not enough to ask what to do, but it is essential to know how to do it.

This is the foundation of conflict sensitivity, an approach that combines practices and tools to help humanitarian organisations, development actors, and institutions better understand the contexts in which they work and avoid interventions that, despite the best intentions, may unintentionally fuel tensions, exclusion, or mistrust.

In other words, being conflict sensitive means continuously analysing the interaction between a conflict and the activities implemented, adapting programmes and decisions to minimise risks and strengthen positive outcomes for affected communities.

This approach is increasingly recognised as essential in fragile and protracted crisis settings, where aid and development programmes can influence local dynamics, perceptions of fairness, access to services, and relationships between different groups.

For us at WeWorld, conflict sensitivity is not a new topic. For years, we have worked both at the methodological level and in the field to integrate this approach into the design and implementation of our interventions. This commitment also led to the development of the Conflict Sensitivity Operational Toolkit created to support practitioners and partners in the practical application of these principles.

To explore the role of conflict sensitivity in the response to the crisis in Ukraine, in early July we co-hosted the roundtable “Operationalising Conflict Sensitivity in Ukraine’s Humanitarian and Recovery Response: Lessons from Practice and Implications for Donors” in Kyiv together with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and International Alert.

The event brought together representatives of European institutions, international agencies, donors, and specialised organisations to discuss how this approach can be more systematically integrated into humanitarian, recovery, and development interventions in Ukraine.

The discussion was grounded in the practical experience of the organisations involved. WeWorld colleagues shared our process towards integrating conflict sensitivity across our programmes in Ukraine. DRC presented lessons learned from its operational presence and a recent conflict sensitivity assessment conducted in the Kharkiv region. International Alert, together with its Ukrainian partner Institute for Peace and Common Ground, the Conflict/Context Sensitivity Hub, and the Ukrainian Network of Dialogue Practitioners, shared their experience in locally grounded analysis, community accompaniment, and conflict-sensitive practice.

The roundtable resulted in a number of recommendations for donors and institutional actors aimed at strengthening the application of conflict sensitivity in Ukraine:

Here, you can download the roundtable report to learn more about the recommendations developed jointly by WeWorld, DRC, and International Alert.

After more than four years of war, Ukraine has entered a phase in which humanitarian action is increasingly intertwined with recovery, reforms, and community resilience. In this context, understanding how interventions affect social and local dynamics has become crucial.

The roundtable confirmed growing interest among institutions and donors in conflict sensitivity and its potential contribution to a more inclusive and sustainable recovery. For us, continuing to invest in this approach means helping ensure that interventions do not simply respond to immediate needs, but also contribute to building stronger foundations for the future of the communities involved.

Thumbnail photo by: Iva Sidásh