Christina Bennett
@cr_bennett
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CEO @startnetwork. Former Head of @hpg_odi. Board member @EarlyActionREAP and @CentreForDP. Views are my own and not necessarily those of @startnetwork.
London, England
Joined September 2010
@StartNetwork sent letters to Western donors including Security Council P5 demanding 1)immediate ceasefire2)release of civilian hostages3)sustained & significant access to hum aid4)protection of civilians & hum workers5)all parties to uphold IHL w/out exception #CeaseFireInGaza
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Firing the BLS Commissioner — the wonk in charge of the statisticians who track economic reality — is an authoritarian four alarm fire. It will also backfire: You can't bend economic reality, but you can break the trust of markets. And biased data yields worse policy.
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Five years on it is time to repost this reminder: by the time #famine is declared many deaths have already happened. This is preventable with sustained access to quality food, healthcare and clean water for the most vulnerable. Don’t wait to act #Gaza #Sudan
This graph from Maxwell & Majid (2016) has a clear lesson for famine risks today in #Yemen & #SouthSudan: don't wait to act. In Somalia 2011, many deaths occurred before famine was declared. It will also be the case for many countries facing emergency levels of humanitarian need.
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We are sounding the alarm: US humanitarian and refugee leadership - long the backbone of global crisis response - is headed toward total collapse if the Trump/Rubio/Musk cuts are not immediately reversed. Millions of lives around the world hang in the balance.
🚨BREAKING: Almost 200 former senior-level U.S. government officials released a letter to Congressional leaders today calling on them to act urgently to avert a total collapse in U.S. humanitarian and refugee leadership. Read the full letter here: https://t.co/f8UfYnBU9n
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‘I was pleased to meet senior leaders from the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee and Start Network, to discuss how we can strengthen the humanitarian movement, even at a time of mounting challenges and declining resources.’ @UNReliefChief
Invigorating discussion with UK NGOs and civil society on the crisis the sector faces. Thank you @StartNetwork & @decappeal for organising excellent discussion.
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Invigorating discussion with UK NGOs and civil society on the crisis the sector faces. Thank you @StartNetwork & @decappeal for organising excellent discussion.
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Re-upping this from last night, as the USAID website has just gone offline.
Important line in the sand from voices in Congress tonight. Trump can't unilaterally close @USAID. And what's more - he shouldn't. Losing USAID would be bad for the world and bad for the American people. Here's why.
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As #COP29 begins tomorrow, 11th November, we need governments to tax the richest 1% and big polluting corporations to raise the trillions needed to combat the climate crisis and ensure a fair and sustainable future for all. Stand with us to demand climate justice and for the
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The UN reports that no food has entered northern Gaza in nearly 2 weeks. Israel must urgently do more to facilitate the flow of aid to those in need. Civilians must be protected and must have access to food, water, and medicine. International humanitarian law must be respected.
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In response to the angry replies below here are some more thoughts: The fact that I am questioning the risks of this war does not make me an appeaser. Arguing for peace does not make me an apologist for Hezbollah or the Iranian regime. ( I have spent longer in Iran and seen
Some thoughts on Israel-Lebanon-Hezbollah-Iran in our latest podcast below - and why things are escalating in this way. In particular • The military success against Hezbollah does not = a political strategy • Other Arab nations + many Lebanese hate Hezbollah • BUT many
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This city is thrumming with “birth pangs of a new Middle East” energy and that should terrify everyone.
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Excellent article by Larry Elliott quoting work by my fantastic @bondngo colleagues: One more item on Labour’s long to-do list: repair the UK aid budget | Larry Elliott | The Guardian
theguardian.com
Action is needed to restore the damage done by the Tories to Britain’s international reputation
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Refugees International’s latest report from @JeremyKonyndyk + @JesCMarks outlines the trajectory of #Gaza’s hunger crisis since the start of the war. Without a widespread course-correction on aid access, famine conditions will spiral in #Gaza. Read more. https://t.co/DWb8v4l2vj
refugeesinternational.org
Without enduring aid access, civilian protection, and humanitarian security, there remains a grave risk of famine conditions spiraling once again in Gaza.
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Holy sh*t. This new Kamala Harris ad, which will air on Fox ahead of the debate, will mess with Donald Trump as it uses the words of Trump’s own cabinet & inner circle to show how he is unfit & unable to serve. This is so good. Watch & share it below.
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Wow, ODA in 2024 is at its lowest level since 2007, if we take out spending on refugees in the UK, according to a new @bondngo briefing. Sobering reading! Rebuilding Britain’s reputation as a reliable development partner: the state of UK aid in 2024 | Bond
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I am pleased to repost @StartNetwork Annual Report 2023 and proud of our achievements of transformation and change. Still more to do…
From responding to displacement and migration in Colombia, to strengthening anticipatory action in the Philippines, our global network of dedicated #changemakers is driving impact around the world ⏩ 🌍
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📢Start Fund Bangladesh has been activated to support people affected by flood in Feni, Noakhali and Khagracchari districts in 🇧🇩 📍A total of £122,000 has been allocated with support from the @UKinBangladesh, @DutchMFA and @JerseyOAC 🫱🏾🫲🏽
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Today, on World Humanitarian Day, I am thinking about all humanitarian workers. And especially those Palestinian aid workers working - and dying - in Gaza. @LinaAbiRafeh puts it all more eloquently…
linaabirafeh.medium.com
Today, August 19, is World Humanitarian Day. This day honors humanitarian workers and raises awareness of humanitarian efforts around the…
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The administration’s new $20bn arms deal with the Netanyahu govt speaks much more loudly than this tweet.
Today we commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The United States reaffirms our steadfast commitment to respecting international humanitarian law and mitigating suffering in armed conflict. We call on others to do the same.
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Holy sh*t. This is the Harris-Walz rally in Detroit today Trump is so fuc*ed https://t.co/RaEnnoCLgy
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Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic nomination for president — winning 99% of the participating delegates. Harris is officially the first woman of color to win a major party’s nomination, setting up her matchup against Donald Trump. https://t.co/cdLNHsxiGl
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