Navigating the overlap of climate-induced and conflict-induced displacement: perspectives from humanitarian practitioners in the Philippines

Abstract Disasters, conflict, and climate change increasingly intersect, forcing communities to flee and trapping them in cycles of displacement. Yet, humanitarian responses remain fragmented, often addressing displacement crises in isolation. This study explores how humanitarian practitioners in the Philippines navigate the overlap of climate-induced and conflict-induced displacement – what we term “complex displacement”. Drawing on 32 semi-structured interviews with humanitarian practitioners, we examine how displacement is classified and the factors that shape organisational decisions to respond. We identify that humanitarians rely on trigger-based, temporal, spatial, and precedent-based classifications of displacement. We also uncover four major factors influencing responses (or the lack thereof) – government requests, operational presence, security, and logistics. Our findings reveal structural blind spots that hinder effective response to complex displacement, and we call for a rethinking of humanitarian systems to address overlapping drivers of displacement. Grounded in the Philippines, these insights offer broader relevance for countries grappling with converging climate-induced and conflict-induced risks.