Humanitarian accountability in an age of impunity — commentary to Vandevoordt

In a time of escalating state violence and the criminalisation of both migration and humanitarian work, this paper explores how we can think and write about humanitarian accountability under these conditions. The paper is written in conversation with Vandevoordt’s work on citizen collectives’ accountability practices, which shows how accountability is being reimagined and reenacted by citizens acting in solidarity with refugees outside state and public scrutiny. While acknowledging the risks of exploitation and abuse, Vandevoordt suggests that these risks can be mitigated and that cultures of humanitarian accountability can be fostered in the absence of formal oversight and regulation. Building on these insights, the paper calls for greater scholarly attention to informal and vernacular approaches to humanitarian accountability, as well as the difficult decisions and uneasy compromises humanitarian actors must navigate in an increasingly hostile political climate. It concludes by advocating for scholarly accountability and deeper dialogue and collaboration with aid organisations and solidarity networks.