Governments in low- and middle-income countries are increasingly investing in social protection, and also address many of their own people's 'humanitarian' needs themselves. For their international partners, who may have an important role in filling gaps when household needs exceed national capacity to meet them, support for the strengthening of national systems - combined with a shift from short-run to more durable approaches - is becoming a unifying framework for assistance. Some aspects of social protection and humanitarian assistance therefore seem to be on a converging trajectory. "Human(itarian) Capital?" discusses findings from 12 country case studies exploring the linkages between humanitarian assistance - in its various interpretations - and national social protection systems. Specifically, the paper distills lessons on how humanitarian assistance and social protection systems might better co-exist, the possible challenges and trade-offs emerging from practical experiences, and how to facilitate, inform, and accelerate future concerted action.

The World Food Programme and World Bank published  this paper called 'Human(itarian) Capital? Lessons on Better Connecting Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection' as the result of a research conducted in 2017 by the two organisations. The research observed the links between humanitarian assistance and social protection in 12 countries (Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, the Philippines and Fiji). The report contains summary insights from the 12 case studies, together with reflections on how humanitarian assistance and social protection systems might better coexist, the challenges and trade-offs, and possible future action.