Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Dr. Arif Husain, Chief Economist & Director of Research, Assessments & Monitoring Division at United Nations World Food at WFP. The conversation was recorded in late 2023. Jamie asks Dr. Husain how the WFP responds during conflicts, including the current one in Gaza. Jamie also asks about funding cuts which are forcing the organization to make difficult decisions on where to allocate resources. Jamie and Dr. Husain discuss the growing number of people facing hunger and famine, and how the humanitarian world can better respond. Dr. Husain emphasizes that governments and the private sector need to step up in the battle against food insecurity.

Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Andrew Harper, Special Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees on Climate Action at the United Nations. The conversation was recorded late in 2023. A big part of Andrew’s job is anticipating where climate shocks will happen so the UN has a plan in place ahead of time. He tells Jamie that climate events require a complex response, explaining that people can be displaced, shelter destroyed, and supply lines disrupted. Jamie asks Andrew about the term “climate refugees.” The UNHCR doesn’t use that phrasing, instead opting to go with different language when people are displaced from a climate event. Andrew emphasizes that the private sector needs to step up when it comes to dealing with climate change. He says there’s currently not enough funding to deal with climate preparedness.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Yuval Shany. He’s a lecturer in Public International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Senior Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. He has published an essay titled “Unpacking Key Assumptions Underlying Legal Analyses of the 2023 Hamas-Israel War.” Jamie and Yuval spoke in early December about the conflict, with Yuval giving legal interpretations for Israel’s actions since Hamas’ attack on October 7th. He acknowledges that some of the actions Israel has taken are questionable under international law, but he says in any violent conflict, there are actions which are not fully compatible with the law. Yuval says Israel does accept the laws of war and has made efforts to limit the loss of civilian lives, including giving advance notice of attacks so civilians could leave certain areas. Jamie asks Yuval what his response is to those who say Israel is blatantly violating international and humanitarian law. The two also discuss the UN’s reputation in Israel, the possibility for more humanitarian ceasefires, and what the future could look like for Gaza.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Tania Hary, Executive Director at Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, an Israeli not-for-profit organization which advocates for the freedom of movement of Palestinians. The conversation was recorded recently about the situation in Gaza. Tania says there’s a “deep trauma” in Israel about the attack on October 7th. She explains that views have hardened, which makes it difficult to find a solution to the crisis in Gaza. Jamie asks Tania questions on international and humanitarian law and how they relate to attacks Israel is carrying out in Gaza. They discuss the humanitarian needs for civilians, not just during the conflict, but after the conflict has ended as well.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. They start by discussing the situation in Gaza, with Jamie asking what is needed to help resolve the crisis there. The conversation touches on international and humanitarian law and the importance of upholding those principles. Jamie asks Grandi if he’s worried about humanitarians losing their relevance as more crises and conflicts appear around the world. The two talk about migration and refugees and what improvements can be made on those issues. Fillipo also brings up COP 28, which is currently underway, and the Global Refugee Forum which takes place December 13th to 15th.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Charles Petrie, a former UN assistant secretary general with more than three decades of experience in conflict and post-conflict settings. Charles’ book, The Triumph of Evil - The Rwanda Genocide and the Search for Justice, is based on his personal eye-witness accounts while working for the UN in the country during the genocide. It’s available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold. They discuss the situation in Gaza, and the failure of international and humanitarian law. After that, the conversation focuses on Myanmar. Charles worked in the nation for the UN and continues to cover the humanitarian crisis there. He describes the situation on the ground, with the economy struggling and a lack of leadership. Jamie asks Charles about the Rohingya refugees, a crisis which they both agree does not have an easy solution. Charles says one of his biggest disappointments about the situation in Myanmar is the lack of global concern. He argues for more awareness of the situation which would put pressure on international organizations, such as the UN, to do more to address the crisis.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Ross Mountain, a senior United Nations official who was a former emergency relief coordinator and a humanitarian coordinator in the Middle East. They discuss the difficult situation in Gaza, with humanitarians working to get life saving services to people in the area. Jamie and Ross also talk about the criticism directed towards the UN, including backlash from Israeli officials following a speech from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Ross emphasizes the need for humanitarian and international law to be maintained, and he says the failure to upload these rules is leading to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Jamie and Ross get into other topics as well, including Ukraine and Sudan.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Reena Ghelani, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator. She has over two decades of experience in the humanitarian sector, spanning across Africa and the Middle East. Jamie asks Reena about the work being done to combat global hunger. Reena explains the main causes for food insecurity, with conflict and climate disasters being two of the primary reasons. She argues that there needs to be better collaboration between corporations, governments, and humanitarian organizations to make meaningful inroads on feeding the hungry. Jamie brings up the budget shortfall at the World Food Programme, and he asks Reena how the UN and other groups can step up. She also addresses the UN goal to end hunger by 2030 and lays out what the progress is there.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive at ODI. The organization has their own podcast, Think Change, which discusses global issues fortnightly with leading experts. Sara is the Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Seventh Advisory Group of the UN Peacebuilding Fund and a member of UNFPA’s ICPD25 High-Level Commission. She also serves on the High-Level Group on Humanitarian Resilience and Investing and the Digital Currency Governance Consortium Steering Committee of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Jamie and Sara discuss the work ODI is currently involved in, and she gives her perspective on crises happening around the globe. She explains that there are people losing faith in humanitarian systems, and she highlights Niger and Sudan as areas where political and humanitarian leaders have struggled. Jamie and Sara talk about reforms needed in humanitarian systems. They also discuss neutrality, with Sara calling neutrality a fallacy, arguing local aid groups do not operate from a stance of pure neutrality.

Host Jamie McGoldrick speaks with Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration in the UN. They discuss a wide variety of topics related to migration. Jamie asks her about the impact the invasion of Ukraine is having as people are pushed into different parts of Europe. There is a conversation about political difficulties, as countries change policies to restrict or even ban migrants. Ugochi details working with governments to try and establish safe and orderly migration. They also talk about how rhetoric in the media can negatively influence the perception people have of migrants coming into their countries.