This meeting assessed the challenges humanitarian agencies have faced in Sri Lanka over the last two decades so as to inform current and future responses. Particular attention was given to the last two years of humanitarian work in Sri Lanka, which has posed significant challenges for humanitarian agencies as they have sought to respond to large scale displacement. The roundtable discussed the roles played by government, donors, ‘emerging powers’, humanitarian agencies and the communities themselves and assess their impacts on humanitarian space. It was guided by the following questions:

• What have been the main factors enhancing and restricting humanitarian space in the last two decades?
• How has the humanitarian community responded to these opportunities and challenges?
• What were the roles played by the key actors? What lessons can be learned to inform future responses?