Scribd
Upload
3 views2 pages

Humanitarian Aid: Intent and Impact Analysis

The document discusses the dual nature of humanitarian aid, highlighting the distinction between aid driven by political intent and genuine help. It emphasizes the challenges of localization, accountability, and the unintended consequences of aid, such as dependency and conflict prolongation. Additionally, it outlines key components for effective humanitarian negotiations, stressing the importance of humanitarian objectives and overcoming power asymmetry.

Uploaded by

wikje Janssen
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views2 pages

Humanitarian Aid: Intent and Impact Analysis

The document discusses the dual nature of humanitarian aid, highlighting the distinction between aid driven by political intent and genuine help. It emphasizes the challenges of localization, accountability, and the unintended consequences of aid, such as dependency and conflict prolongation. Additionally, it outlines key components for effective humanitarian negotiations, stressing the importance of humanitarian objectives and overcoming power asymmetry.

Uploaded by

wikje Janssen
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Two types of humanitarian aid: political intent or help intent

 Interpretations alchemic or classic.

Help without discrimination. Some personael like medical are protected in theory.

Class 2 humanitarian aid and geopolitics


- Bilateral and multilateral (non-state) relations
- Instrumentalization of aid
- De-politicization of crisis
- Role (I)NGO’s
- State sovereignty and non-interference
- Humanitarian advocacy vs access
- Global north-south relations

Biafra actively framed the crisis as a humanitarian one through swiss or company.

Hillhorst on accountability: take account, give account, responsibility and ownership.


To states and donors, internal and sideways, to beneficiaries.
Midninetynineties more higher standards for accountability. Especially to benefeciaries. ->

Localisation:
How:
- Giving funding to local ngo’s/direct funding
- Capacity building
- Partnership (equal)
- Coordination
Why does it fail:
- International power is too strong/powerimbalance remains /donor-receiver relationshi
- Difficult to have transparancy/accountability for local entities
- International/western standards knowledge and skills remain the norm
- Inequality remains -> subcontracted/supervised/filing gaps/uninvolved in decisions
- Tokenness: not actually being listened to even if at the table
- Risk diverting

Class 4/seminar 3: doing harm by doing good

Unintended consequences of humanitarian aid:


- distribution errors
- inaction due to aid
- legitemacy through cooperation
- legitimizes inaction of international community
- dependency effect
- prolongation of conflict
- creation of war economy
- ‘humanitarian abuse’
Localisation and accountability helps

Class 5
Three key components to humanitarian negotiations
- Humanitarian objective, not conflict resolution or peace
- Humanitarian principles
- Actors with humanitarian mandate are central actors
Goal: humanitarian access and protection of civilians

But!
Overcoming power asymetry/Not military/no fighting strength ->
- Persuasion
- Trust and repiutation
- Strenthening alternatives
- Mobilize third party support
- Coalition building

Guest lecture
Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus in Congo
Aid can fuel conflicts! Aid never benefits everybody
Peope who get assitance can be seen as profiteurs.
Ways to negotiate aid so the local context homework so can help larger.
Ngo ego makes flagging and “my” project so therefore confusion and incoherence.

You might also like