By Randolph Kent | Mon., March 21, 5:29 PM | Comments ( 1 )
A man gestures in front of burnt vehicles in a state security building in Tobruk, east of Libya February 24, 2011. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
Randolph Kent is director of the Humanitarian Futures Programme at King's College, London. The opinions expressed are his own.
Recent tumultuous events in the Middle East and North Africa present a huge challenge to the humanitarian sector and one which is perhaps more complex than that of the aftermath of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.
As we see thousands upon thousands of refugees fleeing from conflict, the distinct role of the international humanitarian sector to save lives in whichever community is at risk, must be demonstrated and at every opportunity made clear.
The dynamic political turmoil in the Arab world at present challenges humanitarians to be exceptionally careful to distinguish their precise objective - protection of the vulnerable on every side - from what may be perceived as political aims of external governments which may be about to intervene in the region.
No one could have predicted what might have sparked current revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries, but events now present an opportunity for the humanitarian sector to take a look at the way it anticipates the types of issues it must confront, the different contexts and the new types of innovations and instruments that can make its response to these particular humanitarian crises far more effective.
The dilemma for international humanitarians - that their purpose to save lives might be perceived in the conflict region as part of an external government-led intervention for political purpose - is acutely possible in the Middle Eastern and North African context.
The need to demonstrate the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality is more apposite than ever. These principles will be tested more strenuously than ever in the current crises which are already seeing a massive build-up of refugees fleeing conflict areas and needing immediate protection and relief.
The experience of Haiti has shown that automatic response from traditional humanitarian agencies, without coordination and communication with the country's government and internal structures such as health and professional services, not only alientates agencies and communities they are trying to help, but can increase the risk to vulnerable people.
International humanitarian organisations need to be sensitive to local culture, perceptive and responsive to local requests for assistance and collaborative in order to maximise the capacity of international and internal humanitarian aid.
Libya and the upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa as a whole points up three levels of changing context for humanitarians: one- a highly complex politicised environment is evolving; two- new types of humanitarian assistance will be required within what might be described as middle-incomes states, so we have to think of humanitarian assistance in such ways as stabilising regional/global markets to secure such necessities as food; and three- supporting and adding capacity to existing infrastructures in crises areas, such as hospitals, government services and non-government agencies.
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