‘Internal localisation’ and early action: exploring decision-making and power amongst humanitarian actors in South Sudan

Based on in-depth qualitative research, this article explores the process of a United Nations (UN) early action intervention in response to extreme flooding in South Sudan in 2022. Drawing on the experiences of UN staff who designed, implemented and oversaw the process, it identifies parallels with issues raised in broader discussions on humanitarian localisation. It presents the analytical concept of ‘internal localisation’ to highlight the need for nuanced discussions on localisation in relation to the multiple nationalities and often concentrated geographies of power and decision-making within the staffing and structure of international humanitarian agencies. ‘Internal localisation’ enables (1) the examination of flows of communication and funding within international agencies and across geographies, namely between headquarters, country offices, and sub-national or field office sites; (2) the expansion of current conceptualisations of localisation beyond the binary notion of ‘international’ versus ‘local’; (3) the interrogation of issues of racism and (global) inequality within international organisations, such as how internal flows of funding and power correspond to staff nationalities and physical office locations; and, (4) the identification of internal barriers and opportunities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of decision-making, prioritisation and implementation of humanitarian operations.