Analysis: Humanitarian action under siege
DAKAR, 18 August 2009 (IRIN): On the first-ever World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, when the UN spotlights fallen aid workers and growing humanitarian needs, experts say a trend toward integrating aid goals into broader social and security agendas has contributed to an erosion of “humanitarian space”.
IRIN looks at why, and at how donors, UN agencies and NGOs might ensure that it does not shrink for good.
Lacking any formal definition, the term “humanitarian space” has been taken to encompass any or all of the following: physical locations safe from attack in a conflict; respect for core humanitarian principles, independence, impartiality and neutrality; and the ability of aid agencies to access and help civilians affected by conflict.
By any of these definitions, observers say, humanitarian space is shrinking, with decreasing access to beneficiaries and increasing attacks on beneficiaries and aid staff.
Factors squeezing humanitarian space, according to the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), include
– a trend toward coherence between political and humanitarian agendas;
– blurred distinctions between the roles of military and humanitarian organizations;
– political manipulation of humanitarian assistance;
– perceived lack of independence of humanitarian actors from donors or from host governments;
– a perceived social, cultural or religious agenda by humanitarian workers; and
– a breakdown of law and order.
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