Episode
No one wants to depend on aid, including refugees | Power Shift (REPLAY)
- Podcast
- The New Humanitarian
- Published
- Dec 25, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 3894
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcast/power-shift
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Summary
The UN has a new refugee chief: Barham Salih is the former president of Iraq. He takes over as high commissioner for refugees in January 2026. Salih may be a surprise pick. The head of UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, has almost always been a European. Just as rare: The new refugee chief has actually been a refugee. But does a change at the top really address the power imbalances refugees face in the aid sector? Revisit our series, Power Shift, which puts decision-makers – and those affected by their choices – at the same table. In this episode, Hafsar Tameesuddin, a Rohingya activist and refugee, speaks to Raouf Mazou, a senior UNHCR official. They talk about passports and privilege, and try to find common ground. ––– Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ Subscribe on Spotify , Apple , or YouTube , or search "The New Humanitarian" in your favourite podcast app. You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website . Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line 'POWER SHIFT".