Kathmandu: Against the backdrop of collapsing global health protection and eroding humanitarian principles, the third edition of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders South Asia’s Health and Humanity Summit was convened in Kathmandu under the theme “Beyond the Aid Crisis: Shared Responsibilities in a Fractured International (Humanitarian) Order” to tackle the growing crisis of responsibility in healthcare delivery. With over 180 participants, including public health experts, civil society actors, legal scholars, and humanitarian practitioners, the Summit sparked urgent conversations among people about collective accountability, failing humanitarian mechanisms, and the contested politics of care in crisis settings.
The 2025 Summit centered on three pressing themes: Shared Responsibility and the Crisis of Humanitarian Legitimacy, Governing Reproduction in Conflict and Crisis, and Local Resilience and South-to-South Solidarity. These discussions interrogated the erosion of neutrality, legal protections, and trust in humanitarian systems, and explored emerging models of care rooted in community leadership, feminist advocacy, and cross-border solidarity.
Dr Farhat Mantoo, Executive Director of MSF South Asia, made a powerful call to action:“We are witnessing not only the erosion of rule-based systems but also a retreat from the moral and legal duties entrusted to those in power,” he said. “The silence and inaction of the international community, by both state and institutional actors, at the very moment people need them most is nothing short of appalling. Health is not a political option, it is a fundamental human right.” On the occasion, Dr Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, Founding President of INHURED International, Nepal, reflecting on the erosion of common humanity through shuttered borders, neglect of climate justice, and the uncertain future of the “Grand Bargain,” said, “Global instability fueled by conflict, inequality, and the rapid erosion of shared solidarity is crippling humanitarian action, especially in the world’s most vulnerable societies in which least developed countries are the hardest-hit.”
“Shrinking civic space and disrupted aid flows are compounding risks for the marginalized section of the society thereby severely jeopardizing pro-poor safety nets,” he further said adding that restoring trust in the humanitarian agenda calls for bold, equitable partnerships, empowered local leadership, and transparent governance. “Confronting apparent donor fatigue and unlocking new avenues for resource mobilization requires urgent reinvestment in global solidarity anchored by a clear, actionable roadmap for collective impact. Only an inclusive community-driven rights-based approach can withstand the scale and complexity of today’s humanitarian crises”, he added.
Panel one of the Summit was titled Failing the Mandate: Shared Responsibility and the Crisis of Humanitarian Legitimacy and examined the collapse of legal and moral frameworks protecting medical care, particularly in conflict zones like Gaza and Sudan. Panelists collectively highlighted the failures of enforcement, governmental obstruction, and the diminishing legitimacy of international NGOs. Speakers called for reimagining trust, accountability, and coordination in the face of global paralysis.
Panel two, titled Governing Reproduction: Health, Law, and the Politics of Denial in Crisis Settings, gave a sharp focus on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in crisis contexts. From the banning of female healthcare workers in Afghanistan to the silent rollback of HIV and abortion services in South Asia, the discussion exposed how women’s health is politically weaponized.
Panel three, titled Local Resilience in a Fractured World: The Role of Communities, Civil Society, and South-to-South Solidarity, spotlighted the indispensable role of community-based organizations and grassroots actors in sustaining care where formal humanitarian systems fall short. The conversation called for a shift in power from international to local, challenging traditional top-down models of aid.
An experiential highlight of the Summit was the powerful exhibition accompanying the event. Featuring visual narratives on struggle and community action, the exhibition offered an immersive space for reflection.
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