NGOs and Disaster Response

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NGOs and Disaster ResponseWho are These Guys and
What Do They Want Anyway?
Melinda Hofstetter Center for Disaster Management
and Humanitarian Assistance Tulane University,
Washington D.C. www.cdmha.org
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The CDMHA

• is a joint program of
• Tulane University
• and the

• University of South Florida
• in partnership with

• United States Southern Command

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Mission of the CDMHA

• Facilitate civil-military operations and
  cooperation
• Develop and implement education and training
  programs in disaster and crisis management
• Facilitate collaborative education, training,
  research and information and communication
  services between disaster response and
  humanitarian assistance agencies (e.g. the
  military, NGOs, PVOs, etc.)

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Objectives

• Make sense of the NGO universe so that you will
  find it easier to work with them
• Standards of Conduct
• Discuss NGO concerns about working with the
  military and why
• How NGOs fit into the disaster relief equation
• The civil and military relationship

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NGOs and PVOs

• An extraordinarily complex system which makes
  medieval Europe look centralized and ordered by
  comparison.
• John Paul Lederach, director of the
  Mennonite Central Committee and the
  Conflict Analysis and Transformation Program
  of the eastern Mennonite University

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Definitions

• No distinction between NGOs and PVOs
• Does not include professional associations,
  businesses, and foundations

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Who Are They?

• Working Definition
• Non-profit organizations or associations of
  private citizens with any common interest
• The common interest, for our purposes, is
  international humanitarian assistance activities
  (development and relief)
• May be international or local

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Characteristics

• NGOs vary greatly
• Organizational structure is similar to businesses
• Non-rigid hierarchy significant flexibility and
  authority at the field level
• International NGOs often team up with local NGOs

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What do They Do?

• Operational vs Advocacy
• Grassroots, long-term projects, development work
• Willing to work in high risk areas not
  constrained by sovereignty
• Emphasis on sustainability
• Full integration with local population
• Good positioning for disaster response

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Who Pays Them?

• Funding Sources
• Private Donations (citizens and foundations)
• International Organizations (UN)
• National Governments
• Importance of Media

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Core Values

• Neutrality
• Aid will not be used to further a particular
  political or religious standpoint.
• Impartiality
• Aid is given regardless of race, creed, or
  nationality.
• Aid is based on need alone.
• Independence
• Aid agencies shall not act as instruments of
  government foreign policy.

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INCREASED THREAT TO AID WORKERS

• Increased Range of Conflict since Cold War
• Civil Wars
• Ethnic conflicts and genocide
• Complex crises
• Identified as symbols of western values
• Increased banditry and crime
• Ignorance, indifference and indiscriminate
  violence

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Core Values

• Should offer access and protection from attack
  not always true anymore
• Core values will impact NGO willingness to work
  with the military.
• Even perception of value violation will be
  avoided.
• PERCEPTION IS REALITY!

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Who Monitors These Guys?

• Little External Monitoring
• Self-Control NGO Standards
• Red Cross Code of Conduct
• InterAction PVO Standards
• Sphere Minimum Standards in Disaster Response

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Seize the High Ground!
THE KEY TERRAIN
is the six inches between the other guys ears
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PERCEPTIONS THE MILITARY HAVE OF NGOs
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PERCEPTIONS NGOs HAVE OF THE MILITARY
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NGO and Military Cultures Differences

• Military
• Highly Disciplined
• Hierarchical Command
• Extensive Branch Training
• Doctrinal Pubs
• End-State Approach

• NGOs
• Independent
• Decentralized Authority
• On-The-Job Training
• Few Field Manuals
• Long-term Perspective

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NGOs AND THE MILITARY
Today
Tradition

• Clear separation of missions and operations
• POW monitoring
• Medical aid
• Single neutral agenda

• Overlapping humanitarian missions
• Chaotic complex environments
• Neutrality concerns
• Security concerns

Humanitarian aid to soldiers and sailors
Complex inconsistent partnership
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NGO and Military Cultures Similarities

• Motivation Adrenaline Junkies and Idealists
• Desire to See the World
• Separation from Family and Friends

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Both are mission driven. Both are
synergistic. They shouldnt be antagonistic. But
attitudes can cause them to be so.

Its the PERCEPTION!!! LTC M.M. Smith, USA
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Humanitarian Emergencies

• International assistance required
• Donors rely more on NGOs, because of their access
  to the populations in need
• And again, their access is dependent on their
  neutrality
• Most humanitarian emergencies do NOT involve the
  military
• The need for civ-mil cooperation may be the
  exception rather than the rule

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Review of Emergency Response

• Emergency Responders
• Affected Countrys Government
• National Bilateral donors OFDA, ECHO
• UN Agencies OCHA, UNHCR, WFP, WHO, UNDP
• Religious Organizations
• NGOs
• Military Forces (on rare occasions)

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The Fog of Disaster Relief
UN Agencies UNICEF WFP UNDP
NGO
NGO
ICRC
UNHCR
Donor
NGO
Donor
NGO
USG
NGO
NGO
Affected Country/ Government
Red Cross
NGO
Other Governments
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Do They Coordinate?

• US Embassy Country Team
• Other USG Agencies (OFDA "DART")
• UN Coordination Entities UNHCR, WFP, UNDP,
  UNICEF, OCHA, Special Humanitarian Coordinator
• NGO-Only Coordination Bodies/Field-level
  coordination meetings
• Host Government Ministries / Authorities
• Civil-Military Cooperation or Operation Centers

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NGO Role in Disaster Response
NGOs, as implementing partners of donor
organizations, are the legs on which disaster
response stands.
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NGO Fears About Working With the Military

• Perceived Violation of Core Values
• Kosovo
• Chechnya
• Military Domination of Humanitarian Response
• Appropriate Military Role Refer to Humanitarian
  Community

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Common Mistakes

• Assuming Control of Humanitarian Response
• Intelligence / Information Exchange

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NGO INFORMATION

• Best source of refugee information
• First hand observation and knowledge
• Situational/non-threat focus
• Direct access to local leaders and factions

Sensitive to association with government/military
agencies!
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AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Local Situation
• Environment
• Health and Medical Issues
• Religion
• Clan/tribe relationships hierarchy
• Dialects
• Psychological Profiles
• Personality Profiles
• Local Organization
• Effects of Local Weather and Terrain on Equipment
  and Personnel

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Civ-Mil Services Typically Requested by NGOs

• Security Services
• Landmine Locations
• Security Briefings
• Convoy Support
• Guidance on Local Security
• Technical Assistance
• Access to Remote Areas, Ports, and Airfields
• Logistics Assistance

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Avoiding the Common Mistakes in Humanitarian
Response

• Intelligence/information exchange
• Sustainability
• Proportionality
• Target populations
• Warlord photo ops

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INDIRECT CONTACT

• Functional military counterparts
• State Department/other agencies
• Other third parties
• Virtual contact- the internet
• Civil Affairs and Intelligence

Learn about them before you deploy!
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DIRECT CONTACT

• Basics
• De-mystify information sharing
• Be honest and open
• Build rapport
• Discretion
• What and Why

• Cooperative
• Non-intrusive
• Give and Take

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Coordination at JTF Level
CINC
HACC
CJTF
Agencies at Strat. Theater Level
CMOC
HOC
OFDA / DART
Regional CMOC(s)
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Military U.S. ?
NGO IO PVO
UN Agencies
CMOC
US Govt Agencies
ICRC
HN/Local Populace
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USG
DOD
UN/IOs
Host Nations
NGOs
Religion
Business
Zone of Collaboration/Coordination
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Alphabet Soup
CMCC
CMOC
CIMIC
HACC
HOC

OSOCC
HAC
CMAC
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Cooperation as Vector Analysis
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Cooperation Unity of Effort
IO/NGO Activities
Military Efforts
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Overview of Intervention
Political / Military Response
Complex Emergency
International Community
Humanitarian Space
Humanitarian Response
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Perception is Reality
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GET SMART! The smarter you are, the smarter you
are to your commander.
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QUESTIONS ?