Growth of aid and the decline of humanitarianism

[BiLaaL]

There is so much truth in this article. In our case, so called 'aid' groups based in Nairobi continue to use the conflict in Somalia as a cashcow and undoubtedly misappropriate funds meant for it. Speaking out only when it suits their funds-driven campaigns.

 

Growth of aid and the decline of humanitarianism

 

The Lancet

 

Picture the situation in Haiti: families living on top of sewage-contaminated rubbish dumps, with no reliable sources of food and water and virtually no access to health care. This scenario depicts the situation in Haiti before the earthquake that catapulted this impoverished and conflict-ridden country into the international headlines. Now the latest target of humanitarian relief, international organisations, national governments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are rightly mobilising, but also jostling for position, each claiming that they are doing the most for earthquake survivors. Some agencies even claim that they are “spearheading” the relief effort. In fact, as we only too clearly see, the situation in Haiti is chaotic, devastating, and anything but coordinated.

 

Much is being said elsewhere about the performance and progress of relief efforts in Haiti. It is crucial that the immediate needs of the Haitian people are urgently met. But it is scandalous that it took a seismic shift in tectonic plates for Haiti to earn its place in the international spotlight. Political rhetoric is familiar: domestic and international point-scoring during times of crisis and disaster is a common game played by many governments and politicians. But this dangerous and immoral play has many losers, especially since the rules include judging the needs of desperate people according to subjective perceptions of worth.

 

For example, just think back 5 years to the dismal international response to the catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan. Additionally, over the past 2 weeks alone, flooding has displaced 30 000 people in Kenya and 4000 people in Albania, and in Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by further fighting. All international agencies, including the World Food Programme, have recently withdrawn from Somalia—one of the most violent countries in the world with a population size similar to Haiti. It is unimaginable that international agencies and national governments might one day compete for attention in leading a Somali humanitarian relief effort. The reasons for their current inaction are most un-humanitarian.

 

We have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that when viewed through the distorted lens of politics, economics, religion, and history, some lives are judged more important than others—a situation not helped by the influence of news media, including ourselves. This regrettable situation has resulted in an implicit hierarchy of crisis situations further influenced by artificial criteria, such as whether disasters are natural or man-made. As this week's special issue on violent conflict and health shows,* the health needs of people affected by conflict are repeatedly neglected.

 

Politicians and the media make easy targets for criticism. But there is another group involved in disaster relief, which has largely escaped public scrutiny—the aid sector, now undoubtedly an industry in its own right. Aid agencies and humanitarian organisations do exceptional work in difficult circumstances. But some large charities could make their good work even better. The Lancet has been observing aid agencies and NGOs for several years and has also spoken with staff members working for major charities. Several themes have emerged from these conversations. Large aid agencies and humanitarian organisations are often highly competitive with each other. Polluted by the internal power politics and the unsavoury characteristics seen in many big corporations, large aid agencies can be obsessed with raising money through their own appeal efforts. Media coverage as an end in itself is too often an aim of their activities. Marketing and branding have too high a profile. Perhaps worst of all, relief efforts in the field are sometimes competitive with little collaboration between agencies, including smaller, grass-roots charities that may have have better networks in affected counties and so are well placed to immediately implement emergency relief.

 

Given the ongoing crisis in Haiti, it may seem unpalatable to scrutinise and criticise the motives and activities of humanitarian organisations. But just like any other industry, the aid industry must be examined, not just financially as is current practice, but also in how it operates from headquarter level to field level. It seems increasingly obvious that many aid agencies sometimes act according to their own best interests rather than in the interests of individuals whom they claim to help. Although many aid agencies do important work, humanitarianism is no longer the ethos for many organisations within the aid industry. For the people of Haiti and those living in parallel situations of destruction, humanitarianism remains the most crucial motivation and means for intervention.

[N.O.R.F]

Quite true. I'm not sure how things work in the aid industry but maybe some of our nomads who work in it can enlighten us.

 

Do NGO's apply for funding from UNDP et al?

 

Can anyone set up an NGO?

[Cara.]

^Anyone can set up an NGO, but few can run it effectively.

 

Thanks for posting this Bilaal. The editorial is from a special issue on conflict and health. I highly recommend the podcast.

[cynical lady]

Was aid ever about humanitarianism? And the poor/ the suffering etc? One can argue that the global crisis of the non-insured population has long reached a tipping point, hence a humanitarian regime emerged as an insurance of the last resort, to counter balance the negative side effects of capitalism. No? Thus containing the voices of the discontent by creating a veneer of humanitarianism...

 

Actually the aid boom is on the decline (thanks to the Paris Declaration-replaced by a more dangerous form of aid modality) and many NGO’s are currently fighting for their survival and the situation isn’t helped by the marketisation of the INGO/CBO etc hence their now a fully fledges b1tches of the neoliberal agenda. And in short NGOs ability to promote any real long term change/positive impact on their operative sights has long been curtailed, their spaces of operation, the roles within it and impact upon society was reconstructed by the same forces that promoted them, and are currently sustaining them.....nothing but a global soup kitchen if you like. Consequently there are trapped and subjected to the dominant ideas and rules that travel with the financial aid they depend on, hence in most context their nothing but a vehicle neoliberal governmentality. Consequently, making them apart and parcel of the progressive arm of an irresistible march towards liberal democracy...the big push towards global privatisation. Thus under various guises and activities they pay Homage to the overarching master by generating legitimacy and humanise the process of integration, by depoliticising the issue....all under the “Aid regime”.

 

Aid is a regime and it’s very political thus aides the powerful at the expense of the masses....anyhow must catch up with my day....do read the articles below if you have the time.

[cynical lady]

http://www.barnard.edu/polisci/faculty/cooley/ngoscram.pdf

 

http://personal.lse.ac.uk/lewisd/images/Lewis%20Mosse%20Intro.pdf

 

http://www.hapinternational.org/pool/files/mosse2004.pdf

 

 

Expansionism of the customarily international law: responsibility to protect in the wake of natural disasters?? whats beyond the relief?

 

Before i forget if you have more time; wiz throw the big INGOs website and see how their instrumentlising the Haiti situation to further their own long term spaces/funds......shocking how Haiti’s local NGOs/CBOs are now fighting for resources/ spotlight with this organisations no...

[Cara.]

CL, I have less trouble understanding when you write in Swahili :confused:

[BiLaaL]

Norfsky, it would be good to hear the experiences of any nomads who are familiar with the industry.

 

Cara, the issue on health and conflict has a number of other interesting articles. A very good read.

 

CL, you raise a valid question. Given the current state of the NGO 'industry', I'm not sure whether aid was ever about humanitarianism.

 

Coming back to the situation in our country, NGOs who’ve worked in Somali for the last eighteen or so years have very little to show for it. These NGOs have either limited their operations or have completely withdrawn (as is currently the case) far too many times – with little or no justification. The ‘subjective perceptions of worthiness’ that the Lancet piece points to may well be in play. They of course continue to receive funds pledged for Somalia despite them not undertaking any work in the country.

 

A family friend who has worked for a certain NGO based in Nairobi says that transparency is a real issue. He recently fell out with the NGO he was working for (over the handling of a well-digging project near Baidoa) and got fired. I’ll post his experiences sometime.

 

The Somali NGO Consortium boasts 191 members. This number does not include NGOs who are yet to register with the consortium. Despite this, there are thousands of communities in Somalia desperate for funds (mainly for developmental projects) of which they are unable to secure.

 

In one particular project I’m aware of, a community in Southern Somalia happens to be situated about 25kms away from where the Shabelle river flows. Although they’re situated in a region ideal for agriculture, fetching sufficient amounts of water became too difficult – given the distance between it and the river. To overcome this problem, it became necessary to dig a channel and divert water from the river downstream to the village. The community was proactive and hired an engineer (paying him $1500 from their own pockets). The engineer devised a detailed plan and quoted an amount of $45,000 to accomplish the diversion.

 

Obviously, a struggling community cannot afford the amount quoted. The community then started to approach different NGOs in an attempt to secure funds for this much needed project. One would assume that NGOs involved in developmental projects would jump at such an opportunity and provide the necessary funds. It was not to be. The funds never materialised.

 

Eventually, after months of haggling and unfulfilled promises, the community became frustrated and has now resorted to securing funds from Somali communities in the diaspora. Fund-raising for this project is still ongoing.

 

I’m not sure how widespread this kind of experience is. In any case, the above example speaks volumes about the dreadful failures of NGOs working in Somalia. Unfortunately, their failures affect real lives.

 

It is no secret that Somalia is one of the least accountable countries for NGOs to work in. As such, the temptation for them to misappropriate funds must be great. This lack of accountable is partly due to failures on the part of Somali activists to stand up and draw attention to the cartel-like behaviour of certain NGOs working in our country. Their detestable practices are bound to worsen the longer we stay quiet.