Wars, conflicts, and natural disasters create immense humanitarian needs. At the same time, the rules of war are being broken, hospitals are being attacked, and healthcare professionals are being killed. Major donor countries are cutting their humanitarian aid budgets, and aid is becoming increasingly politicised. In this lecture, Trygve Thorson questions how humanitarian organisations can navigate such a situation, and whether the principles of neutrality and impartiality can still be upheld.

Trygve Thorson has over ten years of experience with Médecins Sans Frontières. He has worked in, among other places, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Haiti, South Sudan, and on the Mediterranean, and has also been affiliated with the organisation's offices in Oslo, Geneva, and Amsterdam. He holds a bachelor's degree in social anthropology and political science from NTNU, as well as a master's degree in human rights and humanitarian action from Sciences Po in Paris. Thorson was born and raised in Hemsedal, and today works as a senior advisor in The National Support Group following the 22 July attacks.