McGoldrick, a lecturer, author, and expert in international law, the Middle East peace process, and humanitarian aid, previously held the position of deputy special coordinator, resident coordinator, and humanitarian coordinator in UNSCO, from 2018 to 2020, when he was replaced by Lynn Hastings.

Hastings stepped down in early December, and McGoldrick was asked to oversee relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank until a permanent replacement can be found.

McGoldrick said that previous experience gives him a good sense of who he’ll have to work with to successfully deliver aid to the region. The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, and the resulting war that has raged in Gaza since then, has radically changed the reality on the ground, but the major players are in many ways the same, he noted.

“It will be a challenge taking on a job like this, but I know the context, and I think I can work in that context, especially with the national and international staff in place,” he said.

“I believe that if there’s goodwill with all the people that you work with, then you can optimize what you’re trying to do. And I hope to work with all the different constituencies to try and get them to be receptive towards the humanitarian endeavor.”

A Focus on Current Needs

McGoldrick said he’s focused on getting aid to the residents of Gaza as soon as possible. A U.N. report issued on Dec. 21 laid out how dire the stakes currently are there, noting that half of residents there are on the verge of starvation.

“When you get a crisis or a disaster of this kind, you have to plan for prioritization and quick expansive response in order to try and save lives and protect people,” he said.

In April 2020, McGoldrick reflected on the challenges of working in the region, in the fifth installment of the Ireland at Fordham Humanitarian Lecture Series. At the time, he noted how excruciatingly difficult it is to separate politics from relief work in the region, but how it’s absolutely paramount. That’s still true today.

“No matter what happens at the end of this conflict, there will be community structures, groups and leaders, and authorities who will want to work with the people,” he said.

“We just have to try and find out how we can locate those and use them to try and mobilize.”

Sharing Insights with Students

As an instructor in the IIHA’s International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance program, McGoldrick will share his insights with students at Fordham when he finishes his current assignment. He currently does so via the podcast Humanitarian Fault Lines.

“There’s a lot of theory and policy that people should understand, but I think people learn more from case studies and stories,” he said.

“If you tell somebody a story about an individual who was in a crisis or a conflict, and how their life was affected, and then changed and improved, people remember that more.”

Ultimately, he said, a humanitarian aid worker is only successful if a level of trust exists among people on all sides of a conflict.

“That is where it makes a difference because somebody might not agree with what you do immediately, but you can get them to understand why you’re doing it,” he said.

“I think that’s the approach that you have to adopt. Otherwise, it’s just sides rubbing against each other, and that doesn’t help anyone.”

On June 11, McGoldrick, a resident of Scotland who also served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, was made Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

He said he considered himself to be extremely fortunate to have worked in the international humanitarian and development sector for nearly three decades, for the United Nations, the Red Cross, and Save the Children. He felt honored to receive the award.

“Yet the real recognition goes to all the inspiring and humbling people with whom I have worked over the years, in particular national staff members, in both U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations, in armed conflicts and disasters in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. This award is a testament to their hard work and dedication, often in the most challenging of circumstances. The award as much for them as it is for me,” he said.

In his new role as an institute fellow, McGoldrick shares the insights and lessons that he has accrued from thirty years of working in the field of humanitarian aid with the next generation of aid workers.

He has also been an instructor at the institute’s International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance for the past two decades.

In April 2020, he delivered a preview of his new role, during the fifth installment of the IIHA’s Ireland at Fordham Humanitarian Lecture Series. He dedicated the lecture to addressing the operational challenges of interacting with non-state actors and de facto authorities, specifically Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.

“The two main challenges [to humanitarian assistance]are a more political grip on humanitarian funding and humanitarian access,” he said.

“Reductions in funding globally are occurring as humanitarian needs grow and are linked increasingly to humanitarian assistance choices based on political considerations and impacted by a growing world disorder. The other biggest obstacle facing humanitarians is access.”

McGoldrick’s involvement in humanitarian affairs began in 1991 when he visited Sierra Leone as part of a delegation from Save The Children, and he would go on to visit countries such as Pakistan, Lebanon, Georgia, and Nepal, to help distribute aid to victims of war and natural disasters.

The work would not have been possible without the support and understanding of his family, he said.

“They stood by me throughout various crises, including from a distance when we had to live apart for long periods of time. A big thank you to them.”