New Publication: Strategies for closing humanitarian programs ethically

Closures and handovers in humanitarian aid are becoming increasingly common. Whether due to funding cuts, insecurity, or shifting priorities. Yet too often, communities are left with limited resources once organizations depart.

While “Do No Harm” is a core principle, how do we actually apply it when closing a program under real-world constraints?

In this study led by Puspita Hossain, we explore how humanitarian organizations conceptualize and implement ethical closure in practice, drawing on both academic literature and endline reports from the Canadian Red Cross.

We identify 7 key strategies for ethical program closure:
• Plan early and incorporate long-term recovery perspectives
• Stay adaptable to changing contexts
• Build collaborative and complementary partnerships
• Communicate transparently throughout the project lifecycle
• Uphold equity, commitments, and accountability
• Invest in capacity strengthening (local actors and staff)
• Document, monitor, and evaluate closure processes

Hossain, P., Munoz-Beaulieu, I., Rukh-E-Qamar, H. et al. Strategies for closing humanitarian programs ethically: insights from a scoping review and analysis of endline reports from the Canadian Red Cross. Int J Humanitarian Action 11, 11 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-026-00197-0