# Theory of Change: #14: Is the global humanitarian system collapsing?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/devex-podcasts-65118/theory-of-change-14-is-the-global-humanitarian-system-collapsing
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/devex-podcasts-65118/theory-of-change-14-is-the-global-humanitarian-system-collapsing.md
Podcast: [Devex Podcasts](https://stenobird.com/podcast/devex-podcasts-65118)
Published: 2026-09-15T14:28:58+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/devex-intl/is-the-global-humanitarian-system-collapsing
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2401005618-devex-intl-is-the-global-humanitarian-system-collapsing.mp3
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Duration seconds: 4169

## Resource

In an interview on Devex's Theory of Change podcast, Alight CEO Jocelyn Wyatt warned that the traditional humanitarian business model is facing structural failure. Following the collapse of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the transition of U.S. foreign aid programs to the U.S. State Department, organizations are having to rely on more rigid grants from United Nations agencies that typically cap overhead at 7%, leaving virtually no resources for operational leadership, compliance, or innovation, Wyatt said. Global humanitarian assistance fell by roughly 30% between 2022 and 2025, with 13 of the 20 largest donors cutting relief aid in 2025, according to the latest State of the Humanitarian System report, released last week. Wyatt highlighted how structural defects and funding restrictions in the traditional framework actively undermine long-term progress: • The misallocation problem: Private donor funding floods highly publicized, geopolitical conflicts (such as Ukraine), while long-term, acute humanitarian disasters (such as Sudan) receive virtually no private support due to public narrative fatigue, donor bias, and political media coverage. • Survival over solutions: With institutional funds shrinking, remaining aid is strictly funneled into immediate lifesaving care, stripping away funding for education, job training, and economic development that actually helps people transition out of displacement. • Failing durable pathways: The three traditional solutions for refugees — returning home, integrating locally, or third-country resettlement — have largely stalled or collapsed under political and financial strain. “This world order and these systems that were developed post-World War II have seemed like they're hitting their expiration date, and they w…

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