Humanitarian NGO Sector

Humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are an integral component of international affairs and security, and integral to the functioning of the United Nations and the world at large. Some of the best known NGOs focus on humanitarian issues, such as the International Red Cross, Salvation Army, CARE International, and Oxfam. Humanitarian NGOs are mainly concerned with the life and welfare of displaced persons and with the delivery of social services, including food delivery, health and mental care, nutrition, and education and training.

History: How did the Humanitarian NGO movement start?

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are the world’s largest groups of humanitarian NGOs. Although voluntary organizations have existed throughout history, NGOs have greatly developed in the past two centuries. One of the first humanitarian organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, was founded in 1863. Post-World War II and with the creation of the U.N, a rise in humanitarian NGO’s occurred, responding to the devastation of World War II. It was after the establishment of the UN that revisions were made to the two Geneva Conventions. On August 12, 1949, an additional convention was created “for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea”. After the experiences of World War II, the Fourth Geneva Convention, a new Convention “relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War,” was established. The Geneva Conventions are significant for humanitarian NGOs because that set the standards for international laws for humanitarian concerns. It is with the Geneva Conventions provisions in mind that humanitarian NGOs work to uphold these principles around the world.

The Function of Humanitarian NGOs

Humanitarian NGOs function to serve areas that are affected by humanitarian crises such as the war in Iraq, conflicts in Sri Lanka and East Timor, and the tsunami devastations, playing an important role in providing assistance and protection to displaced people and refugees. NGOs are indeed an influential and significant entity in areas afflicted by humanitarian crises, delivering valuable services and providing support both monetarily and physically. NGOs have directed billions of dollars in development assistance, humanitarian aid and technical support to the world's poorest areas and populations, estimated at over $8 billion in 1992.

NGOs obtain their money from a variety of sources including citizens, institutions such as the World Bank, as well as government and foundation money. In recent years, funding from private sources and corporations has become another option of how NGOs acquire money. One consequence of obtaining funding from private sources is that it may undermine NGOs. The most effective NGOs are careful about how they receive their funding and try to remain independent in that realm.

Humanitarian NGOs offer protection by their presence in these areas and help save hundreds of lives. The assistance and protection that NGOs provide do come at a cost, with volunteers and workers risking their lives on a daily basis. Humanitarian NGOs also play a key role in the dissemination of information regarding human rights conditions in third world countries. They “bring back useful information, and make it part of their brief to do so …As the staff of foreign embassies shrink, and the need to keep abreast of events abroad increases, governments inevitably turn to private sources of information. In some benighted parts of the world, sometimes only NGOs can nowadays reveal what is going on” (The Economist 2000). The presence of NGOs in these countries allows them to channel information out regarding the political climate and the treatment of the country’s citizens. One example of this is Amnesty International, which has about one million members in over 162 countries. Amnesty’s campaigns for human rights, against political repression and unfair imprisonment are known around the world. The information it gathers is often unavailable from other sources.

One of the main objectives of humanitarian NGOs is to provide humanitarian aid to people afflicted by disasters, including natural disasters such as earthquakes and social disasters such as war. The help and aid provided by NGOs can lessen the effects of such conflicts by providing basic human needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Although much good can come from humanitarian aid, this aid can also make a conflict worse. One example is that it can lead to dependency, discouraging people from becoming independent. NGOs must be very careful about how, where, when and what kind of aid is provided.

Differences Among Humanitarian NGOs

Although the objectives of NGOs are generally the same, there is a difference among Humanitarian NGOs in the United States and Europe. European NGOs place more importance on the longer-term perspective on development, maintaining independent from their government, garnering their funds privately instead of relying on public (government) funding, and are not keen to cooperating with their own government’s military. In contrast, NGOs based in the United States have a more practical, short-term approach to development, focused on meeting immediate needs, a closer relationship to government, greater reliance on public (government) funding, and greater acceptance of cooperation with the military. There are movements towards greater coordination between international development NGOs, and there is common ground to be found between NGOs that exist around the world.

Some NGOs engage in more direct relief work versus long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. An example of this is the post-tsunami efforts. After the disaster occurred, many NGOs provided immediate relief but few stayed several months after the crisis. Action Against Hunger, based in both the UK and Spain was one of the humanitarian NGOs that responded to the devastation of the tsunamis, having teams of people building latrines, trucking in water, and recovering bodies in Sri Lanka. ActionAid USA distributed medical supplies, food items and shelter material, as well as providing psychosocial support and helping restore livelihoods in India. Although these organizations were helpful in their attempts to provide aid and relief, their stay was short-term. In contrast to other organizations World Relief USA that had a long term vision, preparing a long-term plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction work. World Vision International is also another organization that has a long-term plan, planning to work on the development of settlements, repairing damaged houses and schools in Sri Lanka and India. In Thailand, World Vision International is planning to set up two training and service centers for counseling while it continues to build shelters.

Humanitarian NGOs and Terrorism

A challenge that NGOs face is the ongoing global campaign against terrorism. Humanitarian NGOs have been having difficulty adopting an approach to terrorism, wanting to denounce the campaign against terrorism and its dire consequences, while getting ready to work in the countries in conflict.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) demands that humanitarian organizations adhere to their political principles against terrorism. The anti-terrorist campaign affects humanitarian NGOs because it decides which countries should receive humanitarian aid. Politics plays an integral role regarding the decisions humanitarian NGOs have to make. There are countries that are allies and foes of the United States, making it difficult for NGOs to have the opportunity to assist all people who are in need of assistance.

===Examples of How Terrorism/Violence Affects Humanitarian NGOs=== Humanitarian NGOs are indeed an integral component during social disasters, such as war. While these NGOs try to bring good to certain countries, they are targeted, such as the deliberate targeting of the Red Cross in a bomb attack in Baghdad in 2003. That bomb attack prompted many aid agencies operating in Iraq to re-evaluate their presence. Five humanitarian NGOs in particular were affected by this event while providing humanitarian assistance in Iraq. Humanitarian NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, Save the Children, Care International, and the World Food Program all sent teams and volunteers to Iraq, however, they were put at risk while operating there.

Doctors Without Borders has been working to provide medical assistance to hospitals in Iraq. The war disrupted the distribution of basic medical supplies, while many hospitals lost key equipment in the looting that took place after the war. Following the bomb attacks, DWB reduced its team of seven who worked in Baghdad. Those taken off their assignment were sent to Jordan and waited until it was safe to return.

Oxfam, a British-based aid agency, has primarily been involved with water and sanitation projects. There have been problems with accessing clean water and having electricity, both impacting the sewage treatment. After the attack on the United Nations Baghdad headquarters in August, Oxfam pulled its entire foreign staff out of the country and now relies on a core team of 50 nationals.

Save The Children has primarily been involved with assisting Iraqi health and education services. One hundred staff continues to work in the country, including expatriates and Iraqi nationals. Following the attack on the UN, the agency suspended all operations in Baghdad. In order to ensure their safey, their staff had to be scaled down, impacting the efficiency of their work.

Care International is helping to repair waste and sanitation facilities, as well as assisting with health education. It is one of the few agencies to have increased its presence despite the bomb attack. While other workers have been pulled out of Baghdad, Care International has moved its staff into the capital.

World Food Programme , an United Nations agency, provides 60% of the Iraqi population, about 16 million people with food parcels of wheat, flour, sugar, rice, milk powder, tea, detergent, pulses and cooking oil.

It is challenging for humanitarian NGOs to provide aid and relief efforts when it puts their own selves at risk. Iraq is just one conflict zone that has put relief workers at risk the past few years. The current conflict in Darfur is preventing aid and humanitarian NGOs to go to Darfur and provide aid because of the dangers it poses to the relief workers. In a recent article from BBC News, it stated that nearly half a million people in the Darfur region of Sudan have less access to aid because of the increase in violence. Because of this violence, there has been a temporary withdrawal of workers that serve a total of 488,000 people. Those that withdrew humanitarian workers include Oxfam, the International Rescue Committee, Goal, Concern, World Vision and the Norwegian Refugee Council. They said that violence against humanitarian workers have increased throughout Darfur since the beginning of December. “If the deterioration is allowed to continue, the impact on civilians could be devastating,” says Paul Smith-Lomas, Regional Director for Oxfam. “With new displacements and attacks, the presence of aid agencies is more important than ever. Yet every day brings one huge blow after another to aid efforts,” he adds. Because of the violence and increased conflict in these areas, humanitarian NGOs cannot provide aid, shelter, or food to the people. The violence and terrorism that occurs affects the local populations not only because it puts their lives in danger and deteriorates their quality of life, but it also prevents them from receiving aid from humanitarian NGOs. As much as the aid workers want to help the victims, when their own lives are put at risk, they have to withdraw until the situation is deemed safe to return.

Controversy with Humanitarian NGOs

Accountability

Recently, non-governmental organizations have come under scrutiny due to issues surrounding the accountability of NGOs. The importance of humanitarian NGOs has increased since World War II and with this increased influence comes more responsibility. NGOs understand they have to live up to certain standards of accountability of NGOs, since it is imperative for NGOs to have public trust. If there are allegations of corruption or misuse of funds, it is consequential not only to the NGO itself, but also to all NGOs who depend on one another to uphold the reputation of NGOs as a whole.

The influence of NGOs has increased in many ways, with NGO officials often cited in the media, and corporations consulting with NGOs prior to major investments. The NGO role has expanded and for the most part has been unchecked and unregulated. There have been increasing calls for greater transparency in NGO operations and the public to be more aware. Such questions include who funds NGOs, how effective their programs are, what are their agendas, and to whom they are accountable. A few organizations have tackled the issue of accountability with NGOs, including NGO Watch, One World Trust, and SustainAbility. Their main objectives are to monitor financial resources, expose bias and report conflicts of interest. .

Conclusion

Since World War II, humanitarian NGOs have played an important role to play in a world that faces natural and social disasters. With the significant contribution of humanitarian NGOs, the world is a more protected and cared for place. Although humanitarian NGOs face many challenges including political challenges and terrorism, and other controversies, they must persevere in order to continue to disseminate aid and relief throughout the world.

Regarding the future, there has been little effort by humanitarian NGOs to plan or prepare for the future beyond the budget and any immediate problems. It seems that most NGOs do not try to create longer-term plans or visions for their organizations. In response to the lack of interest in long-term planning, one senior NGO official said that there were no incentives or rewards for thinking beyond immediate problems. NGOs would like to spend time more thinking about the future and plan for the long-term but there are too many problems in the world right now that need their attention.

Although it is difficult for NGOs to create visions for the future, humanitarian NGOs have been instrumental in alleviating the effects of wars and disasters for the past two centuries. With their growing influence and significance in the world, they have become a beacon of hope for displaced people around the world who have become victims of man-made or natural disasters.