The COVID-19 pandemic has been described as the biggest challenge facing humankind. The pandemic and its fallout on health and economic systems across the world have precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. As the world navigates through the ‘new normal’ of the pandemic, it is important for the humanitarian systems to re-calibrate their priorities to serve the interests of the most vulnerable and at-risk populations. This issue of Southasiadisasters.net is titled ‘COVID-19 and the New Humanitarian Agenda’ and explores how the pandemic is influencing and shaping a new agenda for humanitarianism with special focus on response, relief and building back better. This issue touches on several important themes such as use of cash in complex emergencies like pandemics, disaster response during pandemics as well as a compendium of best responses by humanitarian agencies to the COVID-19 pandemic.