2021 in review: Investigations - The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world
GENEVA
Sex abuse, corruption, missing aid money, data breaches, and alleged cover-ups: Our investigative reporting explored these topics and others as we looked at the multibillion-dollar aid sector in 2020.
Even before the pandemic struck, it wasn’t easy chasing secrets in the aid world – potential whistleblowers are often too scared to risk their jobs or careers; collecting and sharing data is scattershot among UN agencies and NGOs; and – unlike the public sector – journalists can’t turn to Freedom of Information laws to pry loose closely guarded information.
COVID-19 erected new roadblocks. Lockdowns and travel restrictions often thwarted on-the-ground reporting, and the risk of contracting the virus added another worry to an already long list of precautions taken to keep our reporters safe.