Discover over 50 Interesting Humanitarian Podcasts
What is a podcast? A question I got from a family member (another generation) when I explained I was invited to a podcast episode earlier this year. So I explained to him it is basically a talk show, a radio station, but then on demand. You can tune in anytime from any location. While driving in your car, doing the dishes, or sitting on your couch. Learning new things, challenging thoughts, or just as a form of entertainment.
I learned this morning it is world podcast day, today (yes there is a day for everything right?). Instead of sharing online open courses in our sector, a day to share all sorts of podcasts from and about our industry, humanitarian aid. Please find below a list of varying quality, length, and depth; for all appetites, I would say—40 humanitarian podcasts and counting.
Update international podcast day, 30th September 2023 – so many new great humanitarian podcast out last year – hence I’ve updated the list with many new ones. Initially, this post was called discover over 40 interesting humanitarian podcast – by now it’s over 50!
List of Humanitarian podcasts (initially 40 and counting)
- The New Humanitarian Podcast – The flagship Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast as well as short-run specials and events by the New Humanitarian
- Trumanitarian – Trumanitarian is a search for a new humanitarian paradigm, that can meet the challenges of the future. Through smart, honest conversations, seeking to shed new light on what the humanitarian sector is – and what it should be. Hosted by Lars Peter Nissen
- Intercross podcast by ICRC – a podcast that offers a window into the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and shares the stories of those affected by conflict and violence.
- Everyday Emergency (MSF) Podcast – a podcast by Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) bringing you true stories from people on the frontline of humanitarian emergencies across the world.
- Speaking out (MSF) podcast – series adapted from the original Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Speaking Out Case Studies (SOCS). Like the case studies, the podcast series examines the challenges and dilemmas surrounding speaking out.
- Humanity in War (ICRC) podcast – Exploring cross-cutting issues from Solferino to cyberwarfare, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is proud to present a new podcast, Humanity in War.
- Hidden Heroes (UNICEF) podcast – travel the globe to meet women and girls taking a stand against gender injustice – and saving lives along the way.
- UNICEF Innocenti podcasts – Podcast of the UNICEF office of research
- PHAP learning sessions – Learning sessions and webinars organized by the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection open to members and the wider humanitarian community.
- Start Network: Stories of Change – We’re tackling what we believe are the biggest systemic problems that the sector.
- (forthcoming) Humanitarian Unwrapped: a HUMLOG Podcast – Humanitarian Unwrapped”, little-sister podcast to “Sustainability Unwrapped”. As an extension of the HUMLOG institute, the podcast shares a vision of bridging the gap between academia and practice in the humanitarian context.
- Beyond Aid – Podcast of CSIS (Centre for Strategic & International Studies). A Podcast with stories about humanitarian actors and action that go beyond the challenging headlines.
- Humanitarian Engineering – Podcast of the University of Twente’s department their Humanitarian Engineering group introduces humanitarian engineering actions and their importance to society.
- In and Around War(s) – a podcast of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights on contemporary legal issues related to wars.
- IIHA Podcast – Humanitarian Fault Lines, from Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, explores what’s wrong in the world of humanitarian affairs today – where the cracks lie and the actual and potential harm they create.
- The lid is on – UN news podcast, about global human(intarian) perspectives including their humanitarian leadership stories podcast series with UNOCHA.
- Fresh humanitarian perspectives – a new podcast from the Humanitarian Leadership Academy hosting a podcast with humanitarian perspectives and reflections from their colleagues and network.
- Talking Humanitarianism – a long running podcast by an initiative of the Research Network on Humanitarian Efforts of the NCHS, bringing you conversations with humanitarian researchers and practitioners.
- Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation Podcast Series – the Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation (M4H) team discuss key issues with our mobile network operator and humanitarian partners in this podcast series.
- Forced to Flee (UNHCR) Podcast – Violence. War… Forced To Flee, the new podcast from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, tells the extraordinary stories of people who lived through some of the most tumultuous events of the past 70 years.
- Gatesnotes podcast – Bill gates and the foundation asking questions and challenging the biggest questions of our world.
- Inside Geneva – A podcast from SWI swissinfo.ch, where Imogen Foulkes puts big questions, interviews and conversations with humanitarian workers and leaders in the international organizations in Geneva.
- Humanitarian AI Today – An AI for Good podcast series focusing on humanitarian applications of artificial intelligence. Interviewing leaders, developers and innovators of humanitarian applications of AI from across the tech and humanitarian communities.
- Awake at Night (UNHCR) podcast – What does it take to be a humanitarian worker in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous locations? To find out, Melissa Fleming meets them.
- CashCast: A podcast from the Cash Learning Partnership – This occasional podcast from the CALP Network looks in depth at the critical debates in humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA).
- Embodying Change: Cultivating Caring and Compassionate Organisations – The CHS Alliance is a global alliance of humanitarian and development organisations committed to making aid work better for people. We believe organisations deliver higher quality, more effective aid when they are accountable to the people they serve.
- HCRI Podcast – Podcast of the University of Manchester’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute.
- TNH | Audio reads – A selection of The New Humanitarian’s articles in audio format
- Science in 5 by WHO – The highly recommended WHO’s conversation in science podcast series
- Global Health Matters – the podcast discusses key questions, such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research, promoting gender equality and women in global health leadership, the pros and cons of open access to research, the role of implementation research and many other topics and issues.
- Podcast: EYE on yellow fever (WHO) – ‘EYE on yellow fever’ is a podcast series highlighting the global risks of yellow fever and how the EYE Strategy is addressing these challenges in the most-affected countries.
- The GISF Podcast – The Global Interagency Security Forum podcast began in September 2017, when GISF was known as EISF, and currently features four series.
- Better Food Better World (WFP) podcast – Better Food. Better World. is an initiative by the 2020 Nobel Peace Laureate, the United Nations World Food Programme, that challenges us all to think differently about food. In this six-episode series, author Elizabeth Nyamayaro asks the question “How do we ‘do’ food better?”, painting an audio picture of food systems around the world – from farm to plate – and of all the people involved in the process.
- Protected! Podcast – Podcast by The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. Hani Mansourian, the Alliance’s Co-coordinator, is a passionate practitioner with years of experience in humanitarian action.
- Coming up Next podcast (UNITAR) – A united nations learning podcast featuring conversations with the next generation of global leaders.
- Direct Relief News – Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay.
- WHFPodcasts’ – WHF (World Humanitarian Forum) Podcast Series, hosting various series of podcast and debates
- ICT4D Conference Podcast: Global Tech, Local Good – Podcast around ICT for Development, with various rrepresentatives of NGOs, community-based organizations, private sector companies, multilateral and governmental agencies, academic and research institutions, development banks, and aid and development funding organizations.
- The Negotiation Arena – Podcast of international diplomacy by UNITAR. The forum for prominent international negotiators to share their knowledge and experience with everyone, everywhere.
- Radio HNPW – Radio HNPW – new podcast about the annual Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks, taking place in May each year in Geneva.
- Power in de pandemic podcast (OXFAM) – How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the people we don’t usually hear from? What solutions and leadership are emerging from the crisis? In each episode, we get a glimpse into the world that’s being created in the cracks of this crisis.
- No Hunger Radio (ACF) – The No Hunger Radio is Action Against Hunger’s podcast, designed to share stories about our work between staff based in different corners of the world, who otherwise might never hear about the fascinating and amazing work their colleagues do.
- Diaspora Dialogues – Humanitarian podcast on the social, political and economic issues facing third world nations. Discussions with experts and locals to enable sustainable solutions and involvement from diaspora
- NGO Storytelling – Laura Elizabeth Pohl and Crystaline Randazzo are humanitarian storytellers who work with nonprofits and international NGOs around the world
- The edge of adventure podcast – The Edge of Adventure with Adam Asher is the video series, podcast and travel blog that takes you to some most remote locations on the planet—in search of adventure and purpose.
- The HTLL Podcast – we discuss the challenges, opportunities, and realities of implementing WASH humanitarian interventions within the context of conflicts
- Dignity Displaced – Dignity Displaced by Solidarity Engineering. This is a podcast meant to bring voices from the field of humanitarian crises direct to you with little filter
- What Gives? – A podcast where we have conversations and hear real stories from organizations and individuals on how they are changing their communities.
- Stories and Humanitarian Action – Stories podcast. A humanitarian crisis is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of health, safety or well-being of a community or large group of people.
- Turning Pages – Turning Pages, a podcast that pinpoints and explains ongoing political and humanitarian movements with guests from around the world. Hosted by Rabia Gursoy, an international journalist
- Environmental Migration (IOM) podcasts – New podcast around new research, information exchange and dialogue, intended to fill the existing data, research and knowledge gaps on the migration, environment and climate change (MECC) nexus.
Podcast and me
Earlier this year, I wrote about the podcast episode I was in discussing humanitarian procurement in the Trumanitarian. It never felt like being interviewed, but it was more like having an animated conversation while recording it. I have to admit that I have been listening more to podcasts since! This is a link to that episode, in case you missed it.
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