Discussion about the current state of play in the provision of energy in humanitarian settings, including contributions from energy practitioners implementing projects in Rwanda, Jordan and elsewhere.
An estimated 71 million people are forcibly displaced around the world. Living in densely populated settlements, often with extremely limited access to energy to power health and other facilities, they have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last couple of years have seen significant progress by a range of actors towards integrating energy and environmental concerns in humanitarian response. Last December, UNHCR launched an ambitious challenge to shift all refugee camps and host communities to renewable energy by 2030, aiming to provide reliable, modern access to energy while lowering the environmental impacts of humanitarian operations.
But to what extent has the pandemic affected these ambitions and the progress of the nascent ‘humanitarian energy’ sector?
