Humanitarianism

Lecturer: Batul Abu Qdairi

Humanitarian Logistics
LOGS466
Humanitarian characteristics are – but not only:
• Short-term versus long-term impact
• Limited reliable information
• Overwhelming sense of urgency
• Local complexities that keep communication between political and humanitarian leaders at
superficial levels
Defining Humanitarianism
Humanitarian principles: Additional principles:
• Humanity • Voluntary service
• Neutrality • Unity
• Impartiality • Universality
• Operational Independence
Defining Humanitarianism

Humanity
“The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance
without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavours, in its international and
national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is
to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual
understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples.”

The Commentary to The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross, written by Jean Pictet
Defining Humanitarianism

Humanity
This implies that human suffering should be relieved wherever found

• One challenge for agencies is to identify and access groups in need.

• The neediest areas tend to be the most underdeveloped and thus the hardest to access.
Defining Humanitarianism
Neutrality
relief should be provided without bias or affiliation to a party in the conflict.

• Any part in terms of political, racial, religious or ideological nature.

• Agencies may choose not to participate in local issues.
• Neutrality can also apply to humanitarian actions of a state.
• Maintaining a neutral stance is perhaps the most challenging and costly condition for agencies.
Defining Humanitarianism
Neutrality
“In order to continue to enjoy the
confidence of all, the Movement
may not take sides in hostilities or
engage at any time in controversies
of a political, racial, religious or
ideological nature.” ICRC
• Not taking sides in armed conflicts of any kind
• Personnel must abstain from any interference in
Military neutrality war operations
• Authorities should not consider humanitarian
assistance as interference in the conflict
• Not engaging in controversies of a political, racial,
religious or ideological nature
• Distance from any doctrine except its own
Ideological and • Refraining from public prominent functions,
religious neutrality politically identified
• Not expressing comments on legitimacy
Defining Humanitarianism
Impartiality
assistance should be provided without discrimination and with priority given to the most urgent
needs.

• Impartiality in operations can be evaluated more precisely in terms of

• non-discrimination between groups
• proportionality in relation to need
• non-subjective recognition of needs as identified by the community
Defining Humanitarianism
Impartiality
• Objectives: based on nationality,
race, religious beliefs, class, political
Non ideas
Discrimination • Cannot be considered in absolute
sense
Non-
discrimin
ation
• Relative importance of individual
needs / order of urgency
• For equal suffering, equal assistance Proportio
Proportionality • Corrective actions to original nality
inequality
Impartiality

• Applying established rules without

any personal bias
Impartiality • Making sure aid is based on needs
only
Defining Humanitarianism
Operational Independence
action and rules should be implemented independently of government policies or
actions.

• Autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any
actors may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being
implemented.
• Organization works independently.
Defining Humanitarianism
Political
Operational Independence

Independence

Religious Economic
Defining Humanitarianism
Defining Humanitarianism
• Humanitarian system - they function simultaneously as "tools to do the job“
• All principles have the same weight
• Principles in turn contribute to shaping the humanitarian sector's identity and boundaries
• They are not only principles of humanitarian actors, they are humanitarian principles
• There are other principles: i.e. "do no harm" which is about preventing and mitigating any negative
impact of its actions on affected populations; or
• There are different principles interpretations from the Aid agencies
• Some are adapted to their sector of activity like water, medicine, or children
Defining Humanitarianism
Level of operations Type of orientation

Community-based Organizations (CBOs) Faith-based organizations

National NGOs Dunantists

International NGOs Wilsonians

Defining Humanitarianism
Faith-based organizations
combine religious values with social goals.

Key principles:
religion and social goals, they do not impose their values on the beneficiaries they serve though.

Organizations:
• Catholic Relief Services • Caritas
• Islamic Relief • World Vision
Defining Humanitarianism
Dunantists
whose beliefs are firmly rooted in the principles advocated by Henry Dunant, who launched the Red
Cross Movement in 1875.

Key principles:
impartiality and neutrality and advocate a non-interventionist strategy in conflict.

Organizations: • Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without

• Oxfam Borders)
• Save the Children • Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger)
Defining Humanitarianism
Wilsonians
with roots firmly planted in politics. They encompass former President Woodrow Wilson’s ambitions
to project US values and influence as a force for good in the world.

Key principles:
politics, ideas, values and influence to be delivered for a better world.

Organizations:
• Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE)
Humanitarian Space

• “Humanitarian space refers to an operational environment

that allows humanitarian actors to provide assistance and
services according to humanitarian principles and in line
with international humanitarian law. “ OCHA

• The humanitarian principles serve to shape the

humanitarian space; and highlight the importance and
challenge of operating within it.
Humanitarian Space
• Humanitarian space includes:
• the physical access that international aid agencies and
their partners have to populations in need;
• agencies’ ability to adhere to the core principles of
humanitarian action;
• the nature of the ‘operating environment’ that they
work in, particularly security conditions;
• the ability of populations themselves to reach needed
lifesaving assistance and protection.
Humanitarian Space
Humanitarian space is divided into Physical and Virtual

1. In the physical sense, humanitarian space represents a zone

where civilians, noncombatants and aid workers are protected
from violence and attack and can move and operate freely.
The primary concern for preserving the physical space is
security and access.
 Humanitarian Space
Humanitarian space is divided into Physical and Virtual

2. In the virtual sense, humanitarian space represents the

interaction between the different members of the
humanitarian ecosystem, and how they create an environment
where their mandates can be executed.
 Humanitarian Space
It is difficult to establish physical humanitarian space since:
• the absence of an effective government (e.g. Iraq),
• when the present government is part of the conflict (e.g. Sudan),
• or when the local government requests humanitarian assistance on its
terms,
• or when the protagonists begin to manipulate and change the
humanitarian space for their own ends.

It is difficult to establish virtual humanitarian space since:

• Sticking to humanitarian principles in complex environments is often
very difficult.
 Humanitarian Space
- exercise
• Humanitarian space (Physical and Virtual) applied to Gaza case.

• Establishing and maintaining this humanitarian space is a difficult

task,
let’s elaborate why!
 Humanitarian Space

• Humanitarian space is crucial in conflict situations.

• However, the government and different parties
often share baseline goals.
• It’s about setting the rules for an effective logistics
operation in the virtual interpretation of the space.

Humanitarian Space and Principles

Conflict Connection

• The conflict connection

happens when the
humanitarian intervention
disregards the limits set by
humanitarian principles.
The Humanitarian Challenge

• Ambiguous Goals
• Impact
• Levels of influence
• Political–humanitarian relations
• Funding
• Willingness and consent
Ambitious goals
Consider a situation where an inventory
manager is responsible for allocating aid
between two camps hosting two opposing
parties in conflict.

Which principle/s should the inventory

manager follow?
Impact

• How is impact measured in humanitarian operations?

• How can we tell the impact of logistical decisions?

• Quantifiable field-based indicators - speed and cost - are not enough.

• The challenge is to link the quantifiable indicators with the qualitative (oftentimes
socio-political) and the long-term impact.
Levels of Influence

At what level (local, regional, or international) should aid

impact be measured?

The shape of the triangle varies at different stages.

• During preliminary negotiations, all the power and
energy is concentrated at the top --nothing happening
at the bottom;
• Some crises never rise to the top, having been solved at
the local level.
Political–Humanitarian Relations

• Politics at any level play an important role in defining the humanitarian space.

• Living isolated from politics is almost impossible.

• The intervention must prevent political considerations from skewing and outweighing the
humanitarian objectives.
Funding
• Human suffering is largely ignored unless political considerations overlap with the humanitarian
ones.
• Funds are not necessarily proportional to needs.
• Funds tend to be allocated for visible and high profile issues rather than on a needs basis.
• Mediatization of a crisis has a direct impact on fundraising.
• Donors tend to be more responsive to short-term needs and emergencies, rather than preventive
and long-term measures that would minimize the likelihood of crises or aid dependency (e.g.,
Afghanistan).
Funding

Earmark donations
It is a tool that donors can use to target their investment in particular areas or sectors.

Earmarking forces agencies to spend according to the donors’ priorities and not necessarily to the
highest ranking needs in the field.
Willingness and Consent

• Political and the humanitarian parties have

a difficult and complex relationship.
• The framework presents the needs and
limitations for a political–humanitarian
relationship.