This webinar is part of the When Flags Change speaker series, which examines how shifts in political order impact humanitarian negotiations. Each session explores different challenges, from managing new authorities and restrictions to rebuilding relationships and maintaining trust in negotiations. This session focuses specifically on the role of sanctions and their implications for humanitarian access and engagement.
The discussion will be led by Delaney Simon, Senior Analyst at Crisis Group, who brings extensive experience analysing U.S. foreign policy, conflict zones, and non-military conflict prevention strategies, and Mustafa Alokoud, a humanitarian leader with over a decade of experience negotiating access with de facto authorities and non-state armed groups in northwest Syria.
The discussion will cover:
- The role of sanctions in shaping humanitarian operations and access.
- Key considerations for humanitarian negotiators engaging with sanctioned authorities.
- The effects of sanctions on frontline negotiations.
- The extent to which humanitarian actors can challenge, mitigate, or adapt to sanctions.
- The types of negotiations required to operate in sanctioned contexts.
This webinar aims to shed light on the challenges, strategies, and dilemmas humanitarian organisations face when working in these politically sensitive environments.
Webinar Details
📅 Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2025
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM (Geneva Time)
⏳ Duration: 60–75 minutes
📍 Location: Online (Zoom) – Link provided upon registration
💰 Cost: Free of charge
📝 Registration Deadline: April 14, 2025
Featured Speakers:
Delaney Simon is a leading expert on sanctions, humanitarian emergencies, and multilateral cooperation As a Senior Analyst at Crisis Group, she examines the impact of U.S. foreign policy on conflict zones and humanitarian access.
With experience in Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Yemen, she has advised UN agencies and humanitarian organisations on political stability, conflict mitigation and humanitarian planning
In this session, Delaney will share insights on the challenges and strategies of negotiating in sanctioned environments.
Mustafa Alokoud is a humanitarian leader with over a decade of senior leadership experience directing diaspora-led organizations providing cross-border assistance to vulnerable populations in northwest Syria. His work focuses on humanitarian access negotiations in conflict settings, particularly with de facto authorities and non-state armed groups.
Mustafa brings direct experience from the field, where he has navigated the operational and ethical challenges of delivering aid in areas under the control of sanctioned actors.
In this session, Mustafa will share insights on how sanctions impact cross-border humanitarian operations, the complexities of negotiating with sanctioned groups such as Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), and strategies to uphold neutrality and humanitarian principles in highly politicized environments.
