Development practitioners, humanitarian actors call for direct funding to local NGOs

Development practitioners and humanitarian actors have called for direct, flexible funding to local and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to enable equitable risk-sharing and fair partnerships.

The demand was raised at a regional advocacy seminar titled ToGether 2.0, held this afternoon at a seminar hall in Sylhet City. The seminar was organised by Efforts for Rural Advancement (ERA).

Speakers at the seminar said Bangladesh is currently facing a complex humanitarian situation due to climate change, frequent natural disasters, and the presence of displaced populations. In many cases, they noted, local and national organisations act as first responders during emergencies.

However, despite global commitments to localisation in humanitarian aid, opportunities for direct funding to local organisations remain limited, which often delays the delivery of resources at the local level and increases administrative costs, they said.

In the panel discussion, participants proposed several recommendations, including increasing direct and flexible funding for local organisations, introducing multi-year funding mechanisms, establishing dedicated funds to strengthen local initiatives, and developing policies for equitable risk-sharing among the government, donors, and international organisations.

Khan Md. Reza-Un-Nabi, divisional commissioner for Sylhet, attended the seminar as the chief guest, while Kirti K of Malteser International, Buli Hagidok of Food for the Hungry, Khalid Bin Masud of Unesco, Mohammad Shahzed of Plan International, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury of Foundation for Integrated Development Bangladesh (FIDB), and Md Matiur Rahman of Gonoshasthaya Kendra spoke.