NGOs and Development I Emergency and Humanitarian Relief

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NGOs and Development IEmergency and Humanitarian
Relief

• 09/09/03

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Class Outline

• NGOs Emergency and Humanitarian Actions
• The Global Relief System Actors and System
• Barriers to Complex Emergency Response
  Operational, Ethical, and Structural Problems
• Touch choices for the NGO Community
• NGO Responses to Dilemmas

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Meaning of Humanitarianism (MSF-International)

• A citizens response to political failure.
• An immediate, short-term action.
• It seeks to relieve suffering.
• It seeks to restore autonomy.
• It seeks to witness to the truth of injustice.
• To put pressure on political responsibility.

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Emergency and Humanitarian Activities

• 1. Natural disasters earthquakes, hurricanes,
  blizzards, tornadoes, floods, famine, drought,
  volcanic eruption, forest fires
• An average of 144 million a year
• 2. Man-made crises
• Wars
• Terrorist attacks
• Armed conflicts
• 3. Human rights

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The Global Relief Network

• The Actors
• Resource Suppliers public donors, private
  donations, corporate donors.
• Coordinating agencies UN agencies (UNHCR),
  national governments, NGOs (ICVA, SCHR). Setting
  response standards.
• Operational Response Agencies on the ground
  services INGOs, national governments, UN sub
  agencies.
• Media, Advocates, and Peace Builders

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The System

• Model I Emergency Response Cycle
• Early warning -gt resource mobilization -gt
  coordination -gt quick operational response _gt
  field based and global coordination -gt
  post-conflict reconciliation -gt post-emergency
  rehabilitation and development
• Unpredictable situation of conflicts
• Substantial reversals

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Model II Relief-Rehab-Development

• Based on equilibrium of family needs
• Relief no access or means to essential services
• - Response emergency provision of resources
• Rehabilitationmeet basic needs, rely on outside
  assistance
• Response protection of assets and income by
  reconstruction activities
• Development meet basic needs and need no outside
  assistance
• - Response promote new income and assets

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Major Impediments to Complex Emergency Response

• 1. Operation Global fire department
• Perverse funding dynamics
• Low levels of emergency staff preparation and
  staff retention
• Outdated technology
• Inadequate coordination
• Little attention to prevention conflicts, facing
  forgotten wars, and post-conflict rehabilitation

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• 2. Ethical dilemmas
• Supporting forced population movements who
  benefits from NGO work? Victims of wars or
  belligerents?
• Falling victims to food diversion, looting, and
  war or protection taxes
• Perpetuation a war economy
• Heightening conflict and competition resident
  communities versus refugee camps
• Weakening local capacity

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• 3. Structural dilemmas
• Responsibility for internally displaced people
• Humanitarian action without security
• Mixing civilians and soldiers
• Less protection for aid workers
• Difficult to gain access to refugees
• Increased involvement of the military in
  humanitarian response blurring the roles of arm
  forces in a war and relief activities

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Four Potential Choices

• Withdrawal
• Difficult and complex emergencies
• NGO involvement does more harm than good.
• Work more on conflict resolution and peace
  building.
• Refrain from operational response.
• Stop putting resources into programs that deal
  with the symptoms of problems
• Work on rehabilitation and development efforts

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• Neutrality
• Continue operations on behalf of war victims
  impartially
• Take no public stands
• No comments on treatments of civilians or
  refugees
• The International Committee of the Red Cross
• Allows NGOs to gain access to refugees and
  internally displaced people

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• Active humanitarianism
• Reconsideration of NGO presence in conflict
  situations
• Take a long-term comprehensive view of conflict
• Understand social dynamics and political factions
  in any situation
• Consider how each program or action will either
  contribute to or reduce conflict
• Act but choose actions that contribute to
  conflict reduction

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• Clear partisanship
• War is reality and neutrality is impossible.
• Operation NGOs should take sides based on human
  rights, ideological beliefs, pol views
• Mix between advocacy activities and operational
  work
• Forge alliances with military groups and security
  forces

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Changing Contexts for Humanitarian Actions

• Intrastate conflicts
• Collapsed state and muti-factions
• Not adequately addressed by post-WW IIs
  international system
• Few guarantees to protect a new type of refugees
  (internally displaced people)
• H. action without protection

• Conflicts between two sovereign states
• Division of roles among UN, bilateral and NGOs
• UN world pol action
• Guaranteed security and access for refugees and
  H. actors
• NGO direct H. action

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Conclusion

• What are NGO responses?
• Operational dilemmas
• 2. Ethical dilemmas
• 3. Structural dilemmas