Emily McInerney

Emily is a third-year joint Master’s student at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and the Yale School of the Environment. At YSE, she is specializing in People, Equity, and the Environment. Emily is interested in exploring the climate-migration/displacement nexus, with a focus on promoting programs and policies that protect vulnerable populations and promote migration with dignity.

Research Description:

As climate change exacerbates humanitarian crises and contributes to increased displacement, there is a need to strengthen the humanitarian system’s technical and funding capacity. Emily’s research analyzes the political distortions that influence the formulation and implementation of humanitarian needs assessments, thereby impeding the distribution of aid and undermining the humanitarian system’s objective to reach the most vulnerable populations. Through examining the historical trajectory and evolving technical, operational, political, and financial challenges of conducting needs assessments, this research contributes to a better understanding of the present-day gaps and future barriers to assessing and responding to increased humanitarian need.