Martin Ejlskov Hansen
Martin Ejlskov Hansen is a humanitarian access and security specialist with over ten years of experience in Afghanistan and Eastern and Southern Africa across the humanitarian, diplomatic, and security sectors. He has held the position of Regional Security Advisor for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan and Eastern and Southern Africa, worked as an advisor to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan on several occasions, as deputy country director for INSO Afghanistan, and as a consultant for Geneva Call. He conducts research and provides conflict analysis and advisory in aspects of humanitarian diplomacy, access, and security and has negotiated access and managed civil-military coordination tasks during crises.
As advisor and deputy country director for INSO Afghanistan throughout the Taliban takeover in 2021, Martin played a key role in ensuring INSO and the wider INGO community´s ability to remain operational. From the moment he re-entered Afghanistan as the first expatriate NGO worker, by foot from Uzbekistan, Martin led the way for NGOs to return to the country. During the first year of Taliban rule, Martin successfully negotiated on various levels across the country, provided critical and regular analysis and advice to 200+ NGOs, and actively contributed to several coordination mechanisms, including the Humanitarian Access Group and the Humanitarian Country Team.
