David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, called for reform of the humanitarian system in a speech he gave at Georgetown University in Washington, DC on April 27.

Miliband described the current scale of human displacement as staggering, with 60 million people now fleeing for their lives from conflict or disaster. He called for new thinking about what humanitarian action is, and how it can be delivered.

"Every day in my work at the International Rescue Committee, I hear stories and see evidence of how vulnerable people in desperate straits around the world are not getting the help they need," Miliband said. "The scale and complexity of current humanitarian needs are increasingly out of step with the resources, policies and practices available to meet them."  

Miliband laid out key areas where the humanitarian community can take steps to increase the effectiveness of aid and bring new hope and dignity to people affected by the world's worst crises.

Read the full speech 

From sector to system: reform and renewal in humanitarian aid 

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Read Rescue Aid, the IRC's new conversation blog on Medium about reforming humanitarian aid delivery.