A review of approaches to the integration of humanitarian and development aid: the case of drought management in the Horn of Africa
Frontiers
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Abstract: This review examines efforts to integrate humanitarian and development aid in drought management across the Horn of Africa, focusing on the often-disjointed relationship between short-term emergency response and long-term resilience programming. Drawing on literature and practitioner insights, the study highlights the complexity of aligning institutional cultures, funding streams, and policy frameworks. Despite frameworks like IGAD’s IDDRSI and widespread adoption of concepts like resilience, practical implementation remains weak, with limited community engagement and persistent operational silos. Mechanisms like crisis modifiers and contingency planning have improved early response, yet remain constrained by bureaucratic hurdles and insufficient funding. Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) is proposed as a more participatory approach to localize interventions. The review underscores that while policy ambition has evolved, meaningful systemic shifts in practice are lacking, and emphasizes the need for locally grounded, flexible strategies to navigate uncertainty and strengthen adaptive capacity in pastoral regions.