The Feinstein International Center study about the "Humanitarian Agenda 2015 -- Perceptions of the Pakistan Earthquake Reponse" stated that the Sphere standards seemed to be a particular favorite of the military officers during the Pakistan 2005 Earthquake response. The army specifically requested and received Sphere training. A UN official commented on how the "the colonels started stealing our lingo and quoting IASC policies and Sphere standards." According to another UN official: "The military like standards, guidelines, accountability – they like to be able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. That is why they liked the Sphere guidelines. They understand Sphere however as practical guidelines and standards, and not as humanitarian principles. We provided Sphere training to all brigadiers on up. Soon all were carrying their orange books under their arms and calling up agencies to hold them to account because their latrines were not up to standard."

A workshop about "Humanitarian Quality & Accountability in Afghanistan, Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead” was held on 12th March in Kabul. The workshop was organized by Group URD and CWS-P/A (Sphere Focal Point) in partnership with the GoA and HAP to share experiences and thoughts about current quality issues in Afghanistan.

Amidst the snow-capped mountains surrounding Kabul, a group of over 40 humanitarian workers, government officials, donors, foreign dignitaries and researchers gathered together to discuss quality and accountability for humanitarian interventions in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is at the forefront of the geopolitical issues and lately, news surrounding the country is focused on security, reconstruction and development. With billions of dollars in aid money being poured into Afghanistan – the question often asked is how is the money being spent and are the people benefiting? A recent report published by the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) indicates ‘an estimated 40% of the money spent has been returned to rich donor countries…through corporate profits, consultant salaries and other costs, vastly pushing up expenditure,’ which can lead to questions regarding the effectiveness of aid in Afghanistan.

The Presidents of the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union on behalf of the 27 EU Member States signed on the 18th of December 2007 a 'European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid'. The Consensus sets out a common EU vision and a practical approach for reaching out effectively to millions of people worldwide suffering as a result of conflicts and natural disasters. 

Sphere India has completed 5 eventful years as an alliance of national and international Non-Government Organizations, UN agencies and government institutions.

Since its inception Sphere India has facilitated many activities and programmes to improve quality of humanitarian response by ensuring better understanding of humanitarian imperatives and coordination among humanitarian players. The journey of 5 years has been an enriching  experience mix of challenges and opportunities. The 5th Raising day event is an effort to bring together various stakeholders under one roof to share and reflect on the journey so far and connect with new Vision and Organisational Plan of Sphere India.

Khaled Khalifa, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Malaysia and Sphere’s focal point in the country has signed a contract with Cyberjaya University, to teach a Sphere oriented disaster management course to the students of its College of Medical Sciences. The course will cover the following: introduction to Sphere, standards common to all sectors, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, food aid, food security and nutrition, shelter, settlement and non food items. This agreement is a breakthrough in promoting Sphere to academic institutions in Asia. For the first time medical students will study sphere as part of their academic curricula and will have marks based on their understanding of disaster management concepts. It is possible that other institutions follow suite, a matter that will contribute to creating better qualified aid workers in the future.