The Hill: Now is the time to reform U.S. humanitarian assistance, refugee response
Daniel Runde, senior vice president and William A. Schreyer chair in global analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

“…U.S. policy for refugee response has historically been a benchmark globally; however, our policies, divisions of responsibility, and strategies do not reflect the evolving forced displacement landscape. Now is the time to reform the system to connect humanitarian response with development and security, delineate lines of responsibility, and to recognize the modern realities. Congress has a chance to both improve humanitarian aid delivery and to maintain focus on the linkages between refugee issues and larger foreign policy. A new Bureau of International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) within USAID could better coordinate overall refugee response and assistance, making it more effectual and efficient, while empowering the State Department to better focus on higher level foreign policy and diplomatic strategy related to refugees. … [The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)] should remain at State, focused on policy, diplomacy functions. The humanitarian response programming for refugees should move to USAID. … PRM as a bureau should be protected. But consolidating humanitarian assistance delivery within USAID and scaling its budget to reflect modern elevated need will better serve the millions of people in need globally” (4/14).