From ‘aidland’ to ‘homeland’: what the lived experiences of Ukrainian crisis leaders indicate about humanitarian response

Reform of the international humanitarian system has stagnated, and commitment to localise power and resources has not eventuated. This research, specifically on the Ukraine humanitarian response, draws on anthropology's exploration of aidnographies, focusing on the oft-overlooked role of aid workers; however, it offers an explicitly place-based, grounded approach to Ukrainian crisis leaders' and responders' lived realities, decentring international ‘aidlanders’. We deploy the concept of ‘homeland’ as an explicit counterpoint to ‘aidland’ to portray the dilemmas, tensions, and contradictions of the international system from below. The study employs an actor-oriented qualitative approach to examine the experiences of Ukrainian humanitarians. Semi-structured interviews with 32 such individuals provide situated, contextual, time-bound, and frequently deeply personal stories. Our respondents demonstrate the potential for international guests to adopt a ‘homeland’ sensibility, foregrounding a need to locate policy, procedures, actions, and decision-making within an equitable, fair, and place-based setting, responsive rather than controlling, and embedded in relevant contextual priorities, knowledge, and practices.