Attachments
Key Messages
• Communities often prioritise needs such as food, health, and livelihoods, while measured needs highlights sectoral gaps in education, WASH, and shelter—revealing discrepancies between self-perceived and measured needs. Some priorities raised by affected populations, such as social cohesion and well-being, may not be fully captured by existing humanitarian frameworks.
• Perception data offers valuable insights into how populations experience vulnerability. Integrating tools like the HESPER scale enhances our understanding of evolving, context-specific self-perceived needs.
• Humanitarian actors must complement standardised need analysis frameworks with self-reported priorities, ensuring interventions reflect the diverse experiences shaped by gender, geography, and other contextual factors.
In 2024, REACH conducted Multi-Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs) across more than 17 countries to provide a comprehensive analysis of humanitarian needs. As part of IMPACT’s approach, the MultiSectoral Needs Index (MSNI) was calculated to support aid prioritisation, assigning each household a severity score for both sectoral and multi-sectoral needs. However, while the MSNA offers a structured and standardised framework for measuring needs, it does not always capture the full complexity of how communities perceive needs and experience multi-dimensional challenges. A cross-crisis analysis conducted in 2023, compared the prevalence of sectoral gaps (Living Standard Gap - sectoral severity ranking of 3 or above) with the priority needs reported by affected populations across 10 countries, revealing significant differences.