Public, Private, Humanitarian: Partnering to Improve Cooking in Crisis Settings
Access to cooking solutions is a matter of survival to those who have been displaced or otherwise affected by conflict, violence, and natural disaster. Fuel scarcity and traditional cooking methods directly impact the food security, health, safety, and livelihoods of refugees, displaced people, and other vulnerable populations. Humanitarian agencies often struggle to deliver effective cooking solutions on their own, lacking the required resources or technical expertise. However, a growing emphasis on public-private partnerships through vehicles such as the Agenda for Humanity and the Sustainable Development Goals is opening the door for private companies to partner directly with humanitarian agencies in bringing cooking solutions to displaced and crisis-affected people. Following discussions initiated at the 2019 Humanitarian Energy Conference, this session will explore current opportunities, barriers, and incentives for such partnerships, referencing recent cases in Kenya and Bangladesh.