Effectiveness and Efficiency of Humanitarian Organizations - Coursework Example

Introduction Humanitarian responses have been the face of disasters for ages now. Every time a disaster happens, we see news splashed across television screens with Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, Red Crescent and other non-governmental organisations’ (NGOs) officials carrying out voluntary work to assist victims (Apte, 2010:21). The role of these organisations has grown over the years to a point that no major disaster can happen across the world and they are not involved. In light of this, it is good to evaluate the role of humanitarian organisations to determine whether they are as effective as they should be, how their roles are changing and what can be done to improve their effectiveness and efficiency (Falk, 2013:24). This paper will examine humanitarian responses to genocide, atrocities and mass killings, and use relevant literature to support arguments and statements. Research Questions Are humanitarian responses as effective as they should be, or should more be done to manage genocides, atrocities and mass killings? What are the dynamics involved in humanitarian operations? What are the impacts of humanitarian responses on conflict prevention and management? Conflict and violence are part of the human psyche; it is not something that can be totally blocked out or prevented from happening (Heinze, 2009:41). The main causes of conflict and violence in the society are differences in opinion, especially with regards to interpretations of justice. People use conflicts to settle scores more than anything else. Today, the world has witnessed many conflicts that measures are always in place to manage them. We have accepted that we cannot completely prevent it and therefore it must be managed. Humanitarian organisations play a vital role in managing conflict and violence. They assist the most vulnerable to escape the worst of conflict and live through the worst of experiences (Hidalgo, 2011:17). By supplying food, shelter and important items like clothing, humanitarian organisations minimise the impact of violence on the vulnerable, such as women and children. Humanitarian organisations also play a vital in averting conflict and violence by educating people on the need to pursue alternatives to resolve differences. Conflict and violence are not always the only option, they say. Studies show that humanitarian organisations have been effective in minimising conflict and violence through awareness programs and supply of food and materials to be used by victims of conflict (Magone, 2011:49). Conflict sensitivity involves gaining a solid comprehension of the dual-way relationship between context and activities, and then acting to reduce negative impacts and optimising positive effects of responses to conflict, within organisations’ specific goals and objectives (Moke and Zwitter, 2010:73). Conflict sensitivity comprises three main parts: Conflict analysis – ensures an excellent comprehension of the conflict context; analysis of the possible interaction of between conflict and programmes; and action to optimise positive effects and to reduce negative effects on conflict. Conflict analysis provides humanitarian organisations with a route to understanding the what, where, why and how of conflicts. This gives humanitarian organisations a major headway in their mission to prevent and manage conflict and violence (Pattison, 2010:15). When used correctly, conflict analysis can function the same way as business forecasting. Governments and NGOs can use conflict analysis to anticipate conflict and nip it in the bud before it flares up. There are many tools that help humanitarian organisations analyse conflict. However, conflict sensitivity goes beyond just the use of a tool in specific projects or programmes. Facilitating conflict-sensitive practice comprises capacity and skills of employees, organisational policies and commitment, and the adaptability of financiers and other stakeholders (Weiss, 2009:64). Culture sensitivity is the ability to understand that there are vital differences among cultures, and then place value on these variations (Walker and Maxwell, 2009:54). Cultural sensitivity also involves understanding that cultural differences and similarities have implications on values, behaviour and conduct. Humanitarian organisations understand and teach cultural sensitivity as a way of preventing conflict and violence. Cultural sensitivity allows people from different cultures to understand that others are different and resolve their differences in other ways. Gender and conflict forms a core part of the conflict debate. In most conflicts, women are often the worst-hit, suffering short-term and long-term effects that take a toll on their lives. This is not to say that men are never affected, but women are the most vulnerable (Simms, 2011:58). In recent years, humanitarian organisations have been working with women to put them in leadership positions that allow them to play active roles in preventing and managing conflict. By getting into leadership roles, women can occupy prominent positions in peace-building and post-conflict resolution. International organisations such as the United Nations (UN) have also identified leadership as a core element in minimising the impacts of conflict on women. Humanitarian organisations educate women on the need to stand up, speak out and defend other women in times of conflict and violence. Humanitarian organisations have guidelines that act as yardsticks for their operations; without these guidelines it would be impossible for them to maintain focus in the face of the difficult conditions involved in their work (UNESCO, 2011:63). Neutrality is the belief that humanitarian actors should not favour any side in conflict or participate in controversies of a racial, ideological, political or religious nature (The Sphere Project, 2011:40). Humanitarian personnel must conduct their duties by viewing everybody as victims of conflict and cast aside any form of partiality that can affect their delivery of much-needed services. Human suffering should be addressed wherever it occurs. The main goal of humanitarian action is to secure life and health and maintain respect for human lives. This aspect of humanitarian response is somewhat similar to the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians and their assistants, and holds equal if not greater significance to humanitarian actors (Rodogno, 2012:46). One must always focus on alleviating suffering in all people, even in the face of danger or challenging conditions. Humanitarian activities should be conducted on the basis of need only, and nothing more. This gives priority to the most pressing situations of distress and making no choices on the basis of gender, religious affiliation, nationality, political opinions, race or class (Heintze, 2011:35). Humanitarian action should be free from the political, military, economic or other interests that an actor may hold with respect to areas where humanitarian action is being conducted. The founders of humanitarian organisations like the Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontieres understood that humanitarian response is affected by external interests that deviate focus from the main goals (Gorman and Mihalkanin, 2009:32). Humanitarian actors know that politicians and military personnel would not like their work to be interfered with by humanitarian activities, so the relationship should be mutual. Any form of interference always leads to poor delivery of services to those in distress. Humanitarian organisations have played – and will continue playing, important roles in keeping victims of conflict alive when they are subjected to mass killings, genocides and other atrocities (Ferris, 2011:26). For example, in Darfur, Sudan, global humanitarian groups and their local partners gave (give) protection to almost two million people displaced by instability and mass atrocities propagated by Sudanese government personnel and their collaborators, the now infamous Janjaweed, between 2003 and 2004. So effective was the response to the situation in Darfur that by 2005, the regions general death rates were, for the first time, at the pre-war levels (Fleck, 2009:12). When the hail of mass atrocities starts, humanitarian organisations are often the only global presence to be found on the ground. For example, this was surely true in Darfur, Sri Lanka and, currently Syria. In Syria, humanitarian agencies have inspired positive change by delivering vital supplies to victims and helping most of them to avoid dying in the conflict. Some of these victims go on to become central figures in peace talks and post-conflict reconstruction. There are many examples of individuals who have been helped to escape or survive conflict by humanitarian agencies and then gone on to become prominent, peaceful pioneers of stability and reform in their countries (Gilpin and Murphy, 2008:37). Some of these people were on the receiving end of humanitarian work as children, but the impact it had on their lives pushed them to join the effort or make positive change to avoid conflict in their countries. Conclusion The role played by humanitarian organisations in conflict prevention, management and post-conflict reconstruction is unrivalled by any other outfit in the world. Even governments, with all their financial and human resources, cannot match what humanitarian agencies offer during times of conflict (Christopher, 2011:29). Based on the research question, it can be said that humanitarian response is highly effective during genocides, mass killings or atrocities. They are like the first troops sent to conflict areas when war breaks out, preparing the ground for the arrival of other entities. In spite of this, more needs to be done to enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian response. Firstly, more volunteers are required. Volunteers are the backbone of humanitarian work and it is unfair for people to expect their aid and remain unwilling to join their cause (The Sphere Project, 2011:43). All of them are volunteers and their work would be irrelevant without the commitment of others. Secondly, more financial support – from governments and other bodies – is needed for humanitarian response to be more effective (Fassin, 2012:14). Finally, goodwill from host countries and those involved in conflict should be increased. There are many cases of humanitarian agencies being denied access to areas of conflict to assist victims for fear that they are “agents” of other entities. References Apte, A. (2010) Humanitarian logistics a new field of research and action, Boston, Now. Christopher, M. (2011) Humanitarian logistics meeting the challenge of preparing for and responding to disasters, London, Kogan Page. Falk, R. (2013) Humanitarian intervention and legitimacy wars: seeking peace and justice in the 21st century, New York, Wiley. Fassin, D. (2012) Humanitarian reason: a moral history of the present, Berkeley, University of California Press. Ferris, E. (2011) The politics of protection the limits of humanitarian action, Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution Press. Fleck, D. (2009) The handbook of international humanitarian law (2nd ed.), Oxford, Oxford University Press. Gilpin, D. & Murphy, P. (2008) Crisis management in a complex world, New York, Oxford University Press. Gorman, R. & Mihalkanin, E. (2009) The A to Z of human rights and humanitarian organisations, Lanham, Md., Scarecrow Press. Heintze, H. (2011) International law and humanitarian assistance a crosscut through legal issues pertaining to humanitarianism, Heidelberg, Springer. Heinze, E. (2009) Waging humanitarian war the ethics, law, and politics of humanitarian intervention Albany, SUNY Press. Hidalgo, S. (2011) The Humanitarian response index 2011: measuring commitment to best practice, Basingstoke, Eng., Palgrave Macmillan. Magone, C. (2011) Humanitarian negotiations revealed: the MSF experience, New York: Columbia University Press. Moke, M. & Zwitter, A. (2010) Humanitarian action facing the new challenges, Berlin, BWV Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag. Pattison, J. (2010) Humanitarian intervention and the responsibility to protect: who should intervene?, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Rodogno, D. (2012) Against massacre humanitarian interventions in the Ottoman Empire, 1815-1914 : the emergence of a European concept and international practice, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press. Simms, B. (2011) Humanitarian intervention: a history, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. The Sphere Project. (2011) The Sphere Project: humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response, Rugby, The Sphere Project. UNESCO. (2011) The hidden crisis: armed conflict and education, Paris, UNESCO. Walker, P. & Maxwell, D. (2009) Shaping the humanitarian world, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, Routledge. Weiss, T. (2009) Humanitarian intervention: ideas in action, Cambridge, U.K., Polity Press. Read More