Lessons from Somalia and Ukraine
This report examines the conceptual and practical challenges of making vulnerability analysis genuinely useful for humanitarian response, drawing on contrasting experiences from Somalia and Ukraine.
Commissioned by World Vision International and produced by the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at ODI, it critiques prevailing approaches to vulnerability measurement—particularly the focus on proxy-based targeting—and highlights how deeper, continuous analysis of vulnerability processes is essential for inclusive needs assessment, programme design and accountability.
The study synthesises insights from Somalia and Ukraine to propose more purposive ways of understanding vulnerability that can inform strategic prioritisation and operational decision-making in diverse crisis contexts.
