Report

Annual Report 2024

Introduction

2024 was a demanding year. In terms of humanitarian needs, the ongoing wars in Ukraine, Gaza and the escalation in Sudan caused major human suffering. KUNO brought together its network several times this year to reflect on delivering support in those challenging contexts. KUNO also faced some challenges itself in 2024: the departure of long time KUNO Coordinator Peter Heintze was a big loss. Peter’s contribution has been invaluable, and he brought KUNO to where it is now. Also, the financially insecure situation was only resolved at the end of the year. Nonetheless, a lot of work has still happened, and new members joined KUNO’ s network, particularly knowledge institutes.

Some highlights: KUNO hosted critical events on the shrinking of humanitarian space. Knowledge was shared around how to achieve humanitarian access under the Taliban and other authoritarian regimes, and amidst sanctions in Syria. And closer to home, the field was brought together to reflect on the effects of the November 2023 Dutch parliamentary elections. KUNO will continue to provide an opportunity for its network to have these necessary but sensitive conversations, in a safe space. The increase in humanitarian challenges coupled with rising needs were centre stage at KUNO’s first annual conference, organised together with Clingendael: Humanitarian Action at a Crossroads. This working conference offered space for senior humanitarian professionals to explore potential ways forward on fundamental humanitarian challenges. Dr. Hugo Slim opened the day with a keynote address and numerous roundtables were hosted to facilitate a variety of challenging conversations. This was the first time that professionals working in the Dutch humanitarian field came together at such scale to reflect about their field together. Participants reported back to KUNO that they highly appreciated the conference.

There was continued interest in the training courses. For example, the wellknown KUNO summer course – that offers an introduction to the humanitarian field – was well attended and will now also be offered in the winter, due to its success. The Sphere course attracted engaged participants, interested in learning about the framework and how to achieve people-centered humanitarian action. The end of the year brought a glimmer of hope with the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria; a KUNO film screening coincided with this event and offered moving accounts of Syrian speakers. The participants and speakers expressed the importance of meeting right then.

We want to thank all the partners for their input into our programming and their invaluable financial support. KUNO would not have been able to develop relevant reflection and learning opportunities without this active support from practitioners, policy makers and academics.

Suying Lai, Chair KUNO
Corinne Lamain, Coordinator KUNO