How aid cuts may be affecting humanitarian workers

Humanitarian work takes a profound emotional toll on workers. It places them at the frontline of global crises, at times witnessing the devastating impacts of war, famine, natural disasters, mass displacement and systemic injustice. Humanitarian workers have to cope with emotional exhaustion and burnout, with stress levels in some humanitarian settings comparable to those in combat zones.

The emotional burden deepens when workers feel unable to live up to the very values that initially drew them to the sector.