Humanitarian Assistance

Humanitarian Assistance

Previously, this author had dwelled on Post-conflict Peacebuilding which – arguably, has drawn little attention in the country. But as Pakistan has witnessed a number of conflicts since its inception, especially after the commencement
of war in Afghanistan (so-called War on Terror) in 2001, a number of conflicts have also popped up in Pakistan as well. It is here, like the peacebuilding, that humanitarian assistance is requires our attention, which in many ways overlaps with the peacebuilding.
This article will attempt to discourse on it.

Humanitarian assistance in any armed conflict is of great importance. The most perplexing of dilemmas is to deliver aid in lawless regions where parties with varying interests and power create huge trouble for the aid agencies.

Examined thoroughly, there is a disturbing picture that accompanies such relief operations. The efforts to ameliorate the situation culminate either with palpable improvement or a dangerous increase in the severity of the conflict. 

So it is the impact of aid that demands meticulous attention.  More often, aid programs have both negative and positive influences on the conflict; however, in all cases in which aid is provided during conflict, it cannot be separated
from that conflict.

There are several cases that shed light on the negative outcome of an otherwise apparently genuine assistance work. Examples include, and are not limited to, that of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Liberia.

Although aid agencies usually endeavor to be neutral or non-partisan towards the parties involved in conflict or a war, the impact of their aid, like it is argued, cannot always be considered as neutral.

While it is acknowledged that when aid is provided in a conflict hit area, it can reinforce, intensify, and prolong the conflict; it can also help to reduce the tensions and strengthen the parties’ capacities to opt for peaceful
means than to resort to fighting. Nevertheless, even aid work is not free from politics.

Afghanistan makes a relevant case here.  Even though deeply political in nature, there were no or less efforts to make a political intervention to put an end to the conflict.

Humanitarian aid gives the appearance that the international community is at the very least doing something, but humanitarian intervention in the absence of a political solution for the conflict solves nothing.

(Continued in part 2)

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Posted by Sajjad Hussain on Jan 11 2012. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry