"Humanitarian Grand Challenge" Seeks Bold New Ideas to Help Conflict-Affected Communities

LONDON, Feb. 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green and UK Department for International Development (DFID) Secretary of State Penny Mordaunt launched the first-ever Humanitarian Grand Challenge.

Led by USAID and DFID, and implemented by Grand Challenges Canada, Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge calls on innovators around the world to submit ideas to save and improve the lives of the hardest-to-reach and most vulnerable people impacted by humanitarian crises caused by conflict. The partners will invest a combined US$15 million over the next 5 years to support innovations that enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian assistance.

Specifically, this initial call for innovation seeks solutions that engage the private sector and involve input from affected communities in order to provide, supply, or locally generate safe water and sanitation, energy, life-saving information, or health supplies and services to help conflict-affected people.

"Imagine the benefit of local solutions during humanitarian emergencies: if the rehydration fluids that were so desperately needed in the cholera outbreaks in Somalia and Yemen could have been locally made, or if hospitals in humanitarian emergencies could harness solar power to perform life-saving operations 24 hours a day," said Dr. Peter A. Singer, Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada. "Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge aims to spark similar bold ideas to reach the most vulnerable people who have been left behind by traditional forms of humanitarian assistance."

Over 136 million people across 25 countries are in need of humanitarian assistance. While the international community is helping more people than ever before, crises are increasing in frequency and magnitude, and there is an increasing need for innovative and new approaches that can be deployed to address emerging and future humanitarian challenges.
           
In order to be eligible for selection, applications must be submitted by April 12, 2018.

For more information on Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge, and to apply, visit humanitariangrandchallenge.org.

About Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge
Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge is a partnership of the U.S. Agency of International Development, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and Grand Challenges Canada. Together, we seek life-saving or life-improving innovations to help the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach people impacted by humanitarian crises caused by conflict. humanitariangrandchallenge.org

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