Sphere (1997; Geneva; 7 staff; www.spherestandards.org)
Is a non-profit organization acting as the “successor of the Sphere Project, a time-bound initiative of multiple humanitarian agencies.” It created a Humanitarian Charter as well as a widely known and internationally recognized set of humanitarian standards detailing common principles in life-saving areas of humanitarian response. Sphere’s main purpose is to “improve the quality and accountability of the humanitarian sector.”
Areas of interest:
- Water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH)
- Food security and nutrition
- Shelter and settlement
- Health
Publications:
- Applying humanitarian standards to fight COVID-19 (2020, 12p): “offers guidance on the COVID-19 response by establishing what needs to be put in place for affected populations to survive and recover with dignity.”
- Reducing environmental impact in humanitarian response (2019, 8p): “offers hands-on guidance to practitioners looking to consider environmental issues in their humanitarian programmes.”
- The Sphere Handbook (2018, 458p): aims to “improve the quality of humanitarian response in situations of disaster and conflict, and to enhance the accountability of humanitarian action to crisis-affected people.”
Leadership: Balwant Singh (Executive Director)
Budget: $ 1.5m