Humanitarian Trendlines Data to Sep 2026

Glossary

What the terms on the dashboard mean, and exactly what each of the 65 topics covers. See the methodology for how adverts are tagged.

Terms used on the dashboard

Advert, or postOne job advert published on ReliefWeb. Not a hire.
Share of advertsAdverts with a topic, divided by all adverts in the same period. Used for trends so a shrinking market does not look like a shrinking topic.
CoreThe topic or theme is central to the role. This is the default measure used on this site.
DutyThe topic is a substantial part of the work but not its main subject.
Core or dutyCounts adverts where the topic is either core or a duty. Broader and noisier than core alone.
Exploratory themesEight small topics with too few adverts for a reliable trend. Shown as counts only, and left out of rankings.
Parent topicA topic that includes its specialists. Health includes SRH, epidemics and MHPSS. CVA includes MPCA, cash coordination and group cash transfers.
Job typeReliefWeb's own field: job, consultancy, internship or volunteer opportunity.
Career categoryReliefWeb's own field for the function of the role, such as programme management or logistics.
ExperienceReliefWeb's own field: 0 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 9, or 10 or more years.
High income, low or middle incomeBased on the World Bank's income group for the organisation's home country, as ReliefWeb records it. The World Bank groups countries as high, upper middle, lower middle or low income by gross national income per person. Low or middle income means any of the last three. The October 2026 classification is used for every year.
International NGOAn NGO whose home country, as ReliefWeb records it, is high income.
Locally based NGOAn NGO whose home country is low or middle income and which places at least 80% of its located adverts there. A proxy for national NGOs.
Regional NGOAn NGO based in a low or middle income country that advertises across several countries.
International organisationReliefWeb's type for UN agencies and other intergovernmental bodies.
Topic concentrationHow much more often an organisation advertises for a topic than the sector does: the topic's share of the organisation's adverts, divided by its share of all adverts. 2× means twice as often.

The 65 topics

These are the definitions the model was given, grouped as on the dashboard. Exploratory themes are marked; on the dashboard they sit in their own group.

65 topics

Sectors

Food security & agriculture

Food assistance, food security analysis, and agriculture, livestock and fisheries programming.

Includes
food distribution; food security assessments and IPC analysis; seeds and tools; pastoralism; veterinary; fisheries
Not here
malnutrition treatment (Nutrition); enterprise and market systems (Markets & value chains)

Nutrition

Prevention and treatment of malnutrition.

Includes
CMAM; infant and young child feeding; micronutrients; nutrition surveys (SMART)
Not here
general food assistance (Food security & agriculture)

Health

Health care delivery and health systems: clinical, public health and pharmacy roles.

Includes
primary and secondary care; medical and nursing staff; health systems strengthening; pharmacy and medical supply

Sexual & reproductive health

Maternal, newborn and reproductive health services and rights.

Includes
maternal and newborn health; family planning; midwifery; SRHR; MISP
Not here
GBV response (Gender-based violence)

Epidemics & disease control

Outbreak response and control of communicable diseases.

Includes
cholera, Ebola, COVID-19 and other outbreaks; disease surveillance; infection prevention and control; vaccination campaigns; HIV, TB and malaria programmes

Mental health & psychosocial support (MHPSS)

Mental health care and psychosocial support for crisis-affected people.

Includes
psychologists; psychosocial counsellors; MHPSS coordination
Not here
staff welfare and HR wellbeing roles; "environmental health"

Water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH)

Water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion.

Includes
water engineering; latrines and faecal sludge; hygiene promotion; WASH in institutions

Shelter & settlements

Emergency and transitional shelter, non-food items and settlement planning.

Includes
shelter construction and repair; NFI distribution; site planning; housing rehabilitation
Not here
camp management (CCCM); housing, land and property rights (Legal aid, documentation & HLP)

Camp coordination & camp management (CCCM)

Coordination and management of camps and displacement sites.

Includes
camp managers; site management; CCCM cluster roles
Not here
shelter construction (Shelter & settlements)

Education

Education in emergencies and education programming.

Includes
teachers and teacher training; education in emergencies; school construction programmes; education cluster roles
Not here
"education" as a CV requirement; staff training

Livelihoods & early recovery

Restoring incomes and basic infrastructure after a crisis.

Includes
income generation; vocational training; cash for work; rehabilitation and reconstruction; economic recovery
Not here
market systems and enterprise development (Markets & value chains); agriculture (Food security & agriculture)

Logistics & emergency telecoms

Humanitarian supply chain, common logistics services and emergency telecommunications as a response sector.

Includes
Logistics cluster roles; humanitarian supply chain and pipeline management; humanitarian air service (UNHAS); prepositioning; emergency telecommunications (ETC)
Not here
routine logistics, procurement and fleet roles (ReliefWeb career category Logistics/Procurement); generic IT support (ReliefWeb career category ICT)

Protection

Protection (general)

Protection monitoring, case management and rights-based protection work not covered by the specialist areas below.

Includes
protection monitoring; protection case management; protection mainstreaming
Not here
child protection, GBV, mine action, HLP and human rights (own topics); social protection; data protection

Human rights & humanitarian law

Human rights monitoring and advocacy, international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.

Includes
human rights officers; human rights monitoring and reporting; international humanitarian law; protection of civilians; rule of law and transitional justice
Not here
protection monitoring and case management (Protection (general)); "human rights" in an organisation's values statement

Child protection

Preventing and responding to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children.

Includes
unaccompanied and separated children; child protection case management; children associated with armed forces
Not here
child safeguarding policy roles (Safeguarding & PSEA); "unaccompanied" duty stations

Gender-based violence (GBV)

Preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Includes
GBV case management; conflict-related sexual violence; women's protection and empowerment; safe spaces
Not here
gender mainstreaming (Gender equality); PSEA by aid workers (Safeguarding & PSEA)

Mine action

Clearance of mines and explosive ordnance, risk education and victim assistance.

Includes
demining; explosive ordnance risk education; weapons contamination; EOD

Legal aid, documentation & HLP

Legal assistance, civil documentation and housing, land and property rights.

Includes
ICLA; legal counselling; civil documentation and legal identity; birth registration; HLP rights
Not here
digital ID systems (Identity & registration systems); organisational legal counsel

Human trafficking

Countering trafficking in persons and assisting survivors.

Includes
counter-trafficking; victim identification and assistance; modern slavery
Not here
migrant smuggling (Migration); wildlife, drug and arms trafficking

People & displacement

Refugees & asylum

Roles centred on refugees and asylum seekers.

Includes
refugee response; refugee status determination; resettlement; asylum procedures
Not here
roles where "refugee" appears only in the organisation's name or mission statement

Internal displacement

Roles centred on internally displaced people.

Includes
IDP response; displacement tracking (DTM); IDP policy

Migration

Roles centred on migrants and mixed movements.

Includes
mixed migration; return and reintegration; labour migration; migration policy and data; migrant smuggling
Not here
roles matched only because the employer is IOM

Durable solutions & statelessness

Ending displacement through voluntary return, local integration, or settlement elsewhere, and preventing statelessness.

Includes
durable solutions strategies; voluntary return; local integration; statelessness prevention and reduction
Not here
resettlement casework and processing (Refugees & asylum)

Inclusion & accountability

Gender equality

Gender analysis, mainstreaming and women's empowerment.

Includes
gender advisers; gender analysis; women's economic empowerment; gender mainstreaming
Not here
GBV (own topic); equal-opportunity statements in ads

Disability inclusion

Including people with disabilities in programmes and services.

Includes
disability inclusion advisers; rehabilitation; inclusive education and accessibility
Not here
equal-opportunity statements; roles matched only because the employer is Humanity & Inclusion

Youth & adolescents

Programming for and with young people.

Includes
youth empowerment and employment; adolescent programming; youth participation
Not here
"young professional" schemes; internships

Diversity & inclusion (age, SOGI, DEI)

Inclusion of older people and LGBTQI+ people, and organisational diversity, equity and inclusion.

Includes
older people and ageing; LGBTQI+ inclusion; anti-racism; organisational DEI roles
Not here
equal-opportunity statements; "decolonising aid" and "shift the power" (Localisation & local leadership)

Safeguarding & PSEA

Protecting people from exploitation, abuse and harassment by aid workers and organisations.

Includes
safeguarding advisers and investigators; PSEA networks and focal points; child safeguarding
Not here
the standard requirement that every applicant accept the safeguarding policy

Accountability & community engagement (AAP)

Listening and answering to affected people, and working to recognised quality standards.

Includes
feedback and complaints mechanisms; communicating with communities; community engagement; CHS and Sphere; misinformation and information ecosystems
Not here
financial accountability; parental engagement in schools

Cash, markets & social protection

Cash & voucher assistance (CVA)

Delivering assistance as cash transfers or vouchers.

Includes
cash officers and advisers; CVA programme design; vouchers; cash for work modality; NGO cash coordinators; cash plus and complementary programming; sector-specific cash; targeting and transfer values
Not here
accounting vouchers; cash handling by cashiers and finance staff

Multi-purpose cash (MPCA)

Unrestricted cash transfers covering basic needs across sectors.

Includes
MPCA; multi-purpose cash; minimum expenditure basket

Cash coordinationExploratory

Inter-agency coordination of cash assistance.

Includes
cash working groups; inter-agency cash coordinators; CALP and cash coordination bodies
Not here
NGO internal "Cash Coordinator" roles (CVA); CALP training as a credential

Group cash transfersExploratory

Cash given to community groups or local responders to run their own response projects.

Includes
group cash transfers (GCT); community cash grants; microgrants to community groups; survivor- and community-led response
Not here
cash to individual households (CVA, MPCA); grants to registered NGO partners (Partnerships & partner capacity)

Digital payments & financial service providersExploratory

Delivering transfers through digital channels and managing payment providers.

Includes
mobile money; e-vouchers and e-payments; financial service provider contracting; payment systems; KYC requirements for recipients
Not here
repayments; general finance payments

Financial inclusion & savings groups

Access to savings, credit and financial services.

Includes
VSLAs and savings groups; microfinance; financial literacy; financial inclusion
Not here
service level agreements (SLA)

Markets & value chains

Market analysis, market systems development and enterprise support.

Includes
market assessments (EMMA, MSMA); market systems development; value chains; MSME and enterprise development
Not here
labour market studies; social marketing; subject-matter experts (SME)

Social protection

Public systems of social assistance (safety nets), social insurance and labour-market support, and their links to humanitarian assistance.

Includes
social assistance and safety nets; social insurance; shock-responsive and adaptive social protection; linking humanitarian cash to social protection
Not here
psychosocial assistance; child and legal protection

Digital & data

Data collection & analytics

Collecting, analysing and visualising programme data.

Includes
data analysts; dashboards and BI; statistics; mobile data collection (Kobo, ODK); Power BI and Tableau
Not here
generic "data analysis" in M&E duties

Needs assessment & analysis

Assessing and analysing humanitarian needs to inform response planning.

Includes
multi-sector needs assessments (MSNA); JIAF and humanitarian needs overviews; assessment officers and analysts; context and situation analysis
Not here
project baselines and routine M&E (ReliefWeb career category Monitoring and Evaluation); IPC and food security assessments (Food security & agriculture); market assessments (Markets & value chains)

GIS & remote sensing

Mapping, geospatial analysis and satellite imagery.

Includes
GIS officers; remote sensing; spatial analysis
Not here
stakeholder "mapping"

Identity & registration systems

Systems that register people for assistance and manage their identity records.

Includes
beneficiary registration systems (SCOPE, proGres); digital ID; identity management; de-duplication
Not here
civil documentation and legal identity (Legal aid, documentation & HLP); biometric capture itself (Biometrics)

BiometricsExploratory

Using fingerprints, iris, face or voice to identify the people assisted.

Includes
biometric registration and verification; iris and fingerprint systems (e.g. BIMS); biometric policy
Not here
FBI fingerprint checks for applicants; statistical "biometrics" and biometry

Interoperability & data sharingExploratory

Making systems and organisations exchange data.

Includes
data-sharing agreements and platforms; system integration and APIs; data standards; interoperable registries
Not here
generic "sharing data with colleagues"

Data responsibility

Safe, ethical and lawful management of data about affected people, including data protection.

Includes
data protection officers; privacy and data protection impact assessments; data responsibility and data ethics; data governance
Not here
privacy notices to job applicants; IT security (Cybersecurity)

Cybersecurity

Securing digital systems and information against attack.

Includes
information security; cybersecurity officers; security operations; digital security training
Not here
physical safety and security (Safety & security management)

Digital transformation, innovation & ICT4D

Using digital technology and innovation to change how organisations and programmes work.

Includes
digital strategy; innovation leads, labs and funds; ICT4D; digital inclusion; digital literacy
Not here
generic IT support (ReliefWeb career category ICT)

AI & machine learning

Building or applying artificial intelligence.

Includes
machine learning; data science with AI; AI policy and governance
Not here
Amnesty International; French/Spanish "IA" in other senses

Blockchain & cryptoExploratory

Distributed ledgers and cryptocurrency.

Includes
blockchain; distributed ledger; cryptocurrency; smart contracts

Stablecoins & digital assetsExploratory

Stablecoins, central bank digital currencies and tokenised money.

Includes
stablecoins (USDC, USDT); CBDC; tokenised or virtual assets
Not here
"digital assets" meaning photos and video

Climate, risk & resilience

Climate, environment & energy

Climate adaptation and finance, environmental sustainability and energy access.

Includes
climate adaptation, policy and finance; carbon markets; environmental safeguards and greening; natural resource management; clean energy and energy access
Not here
French "environnement" meaning working environment; "energy" as a personal quality

Disaster risk reduction & early warning

Reducing disaster risk and preparing for hazards.

Includes
DRR; disaster preparedness; early warning systems; contingency planning

Anticipatory action & risk financing

Acting on forecasts before a crisis and pre-arranging the money to do so.

Includes
anticipatory and forecast-based action; crisis modifiers; disaster risk financing; parametric insurance
Not here
general early warning (DRR & early warning); staff insurance

Resilience

Programmes built around strengthening the resilience of people and systems.

Includes
resilience programming and building; resilience measurement
Not here
"resilient" as a personal quality

System & reform

Urban & area-based response

Responding in cities and through settlement or area-based approaches.

Includes
urban response; urban planning; area-based coordination
Not here
"rural and urban" as a passing phrase

Localisation & local leadership

Shifting power and resources to local and national actors.

Includes
localisation; local leadership; shift the power; decolonising aid
Not here
software and language localisation; "localisation du poste" (job location)

Partnerships & partner capacity

Building, brokering and managing partnerships with other organisations, and strengthening the organisational capacity of those partners.

Includes
partnership managers, advisers and officers; identifying, selecting and contracting partners; partnership agreements and partner due diligence; managing partner relationships and sub-grantee portfolios as a named responsibility; organisational capacity assessment and strengthening of partner organisations
Not here
training or capacity building of own staff, beneficiaries, communities or government officials; "capacity building" as a generic skill or duty; "coordinate, liaise or work with partners and stakeholders"; routine oversight of a sub-grant or implementing partner inside a project; donor relations and fundraising; consortium or inter-agency coordination (Humanitarian coordination)

Humanitarian-development-peace nexus

Joining up humanitarian, development and peace work.

Includes
nexus advisers; HDP nexus; triple nexus
Not here
water-energy-food nexus; "nexus" as a product or project name

Peacebuilding & conflict sensitivity

Building peace and making aid sensitive to conflict.

Includes
peacebuilding; social cohesion; conflict analysis; conflict sensitivity; peacekeeping support; DDR; security sector reform
Not here
"do no harm" as a stock principle; "conflict resolution" as a soft skill

Humanitarian coordination

Running the coordination system between agencies.

Includes
cluster and sector coordinators; OCHA coordination roles; inter-agency and HCT support
Not here
cash coordination and CCCM (own topics); NGO roles titled "Humanitarian Coordinator"

Humanitarian reset & reformExploratory

Reform of the humanitarian system.

Includes
humanitarian reset; Grand Bargain; UN80 and efficiency reforms

Humanitarian access & civil-military coordination

Negotiating access and working alongside military actors.

Includes
access advisers; access negotiation; CMCoord
Not here
access to services; database access

Operations & assurance

Compliance, audit & risk

Internal controls, fraud prevention, audit and organisational risk.

Includes
compliance officers; anti-fraud and investigations; internal audit; enterprise risk; counter-terrorism and sanctions compliance; AML/CFT and de-risking
Not here
the standard requirement to follow the fraud policy; disaster and security risk

Safety & security management

Keeping staff and operations safe.

Includes
security managers and advisers; security risk management; security focal points as the role
Not here
food, livelihood and social security; "report to the security focal point"

Remote & third-party monitoring

Monitoring carried out by a contracted third party or at a distance.

Includes
third-party monitoring; remote monitoring; field monitors for TPM firms

Research, studies & evaluation

Research and study roles and evaluation consultancies in general, not only rigorous impact evaluations.

Includes
impact evaluations; RCTs; research leads and principal investigators
Not here
routine M&E (ReliefWeb career category Monitoring and Evaluation)