Theory of Change: #14: Is the global humanitarian system collapsing?
Devex Podcasts

Theory of Change: #14: Is the global humanitarian system collapsing?

B2Upper-intermediateSeptember 15, 20261 hr 9 min

In an interview on Devex's Theory of Change podcast, Alight CEO Jocelyn Wyatt warned that the traditional humanitarian business model is facing structural failure. Following the collapse of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the transition of U.S. foreign aid programs to the U.S. State Department, organizations are having to rely on more rigid grants from United Nations agencies that typically cap overhead at 7%, leaving virtually no resources for operational leadership, compliance, or innovation, Wyatt said. Global humanitarian assistance fell by roughly 30% between 2022 and 2025, with 13 of the 20 largest donors cutting relief aid in 2025, according to the...

Play episode

Opens the player: the full transcript, every word clickable, with translation and flashcards.

Try it: tap any word

Real sentences from the start of this episode. Every word is marked with its level.

Sentence 9 of 12 · 0:47

The story didn't end there, neither did the chaos and confusion.

, ..

of the U.S. Agency for International Development

Hear this sentence

Tap a word to see its meaning in your language.

Do you know these words?

8 harder words from this episode. Tap one to see what it means, then mark it.

  • B20:47
  • C28:50
  • B218:03
  • B233:23
  • B241:59
  • B249:31
  • C156:37
  • B265:59

Mark a few words and we'll tell you how this episode fits your level.

Is this episode right for you?

B2

B2 · Upper-intermediate

Comfortable if you already follow TV news

A1 19%A2 29%B1 21%B2 23%C1 8%
  • 69% of the words are B1 or easier.
  • 152 words a minute: a natural pace.
  • 254 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.

Transcript

The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.

0:00

The US foreign aid freeze in 2025 sowed chaos and confusion among humanitarian organizations operating around the world. Chaos and confusion is not something you want when you're providing life-saving services under already extremely difficult circumstances.

0:28

People working for these organizations suddenly had to contemplate the unthinkable. What did it mean to stop work immediately? What would happen to the people they served? The story didn't end there, neither did the chaos and confusion.

0:47

In the world of humanitarian relief, U.S. government funding cuts and the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development were the bellwether of a broader crisis. The state of the humanitarian system report

That was the opening. The rest of the episode (68 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.

Continue in the player

Automatically generated from the audio. May contain errors. Audio belongs to its publisher and is played from their feed. Rights holders can request removal — copyright & takedown policy