In this episode of Development Aid Dialogues—marking International NGO Day at the end of February—podcast host Hisham Allam interviewed Dara Johnston, Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for UNICEF in Palestine, for an in-depth look at how nonprofits complement big institutions on the ground. With a month-long series spotlighting NGOs' grassroots role in crises, community voices and global agendas, this conversation zeroes in on water, sanitation and hygiene access for the most vulnerable. 

Johnston made it clear why NGOs stand out: they fill the gaps large agencies like UNICEF can't reach alone. "NGOs have the proximity,  speed and operational capacity to implement effectively on the ground," he said. That played out in Bangladesh, where partners tackled sanitation in remote areas alongside arsenic in water. "The program at the end was very successful... they collaborated very effectively." 

Those strengths prove even more critical in emergencies. Take the 2017 Rohingya crisis, when NGOs ramped up fast for nearly a million displaced people despite years away from disaster work. "It was a very successful intervention, which undoubtedly saved many lives," Johnston said. When government red tape slows things, UNICEF steps in as a link: "We can be a sort of a bridge between the NGO partner and the government." 

That trust opens doors to real innovation on the ground. In one Myanmar village, locals expanded a UNICEF-NGO solar water system with elevated tanks, home pipes and meters—fully funded by the community itself. "This was something that we found when we came back... because it was all locally brought together," he recalled. And with aid budgets shrinking, such partnerships grow more vital. "With reduction in resources, we need to find ways to work more effectively." 

Still, pitfalls threaten this model, like donors pushing NGOs to act more like for-profit contractors. "It's not just the numbers, it's the quality... the sustainability," Johnston warned. Constant, honest communication keeps things solid: "If they’re able to be upfront and tell us when some issue is happening... this builds trust." In the end, NGOs give communities a direct voice. "NGOs can often be our most direct communication channel to the most vulnerable in the community." 

"NGOs have played a vital role... they’re needed even more than ever," he summed up. 

Listen to the full episode of the DevelopmentAid Dialogues podcast on your favorite streaming platform. 

In February, we celebrate International NGO Day. Look out for our next episode on this topic, to be released on February 18, and follow us on LinkedIn for editorials and Expert Opinions on this important subject. 

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