Humanitarian response for development: lessons from Tropical Cyclone Winston

Linking humanitarian response and development is an important agenda, with multiple drivers across both sectors’ landscapes. It is also a topical issue in Fiji, a country vulnerable to natural hazards. Our research aimed to learn from Fiji’s experience of response and recovery after Tropical Cyclone Winston hit in 2016; we found that the humanitarian response to the cyclone had no substantive influence on the longer-term governance and institutional arrangements for development. However, the study did reveal cross-sector aspirations and practical actions to strengthen the connections between humanitarian work and development (the ‘humanitarian-development nexus’). This research offers lessons for the sub-national and national governments of Fiji, as well as other governments and donors in the Pacific region and beyond, on how humanitarian response and early recovery can be strengthened to contribute to development goals.