Humanitarian aid in conflict By Alice Read-Clarke Humanitarian aid is defined by the Global Humanitarian Assistance organisation as aid 'intended to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity during and after man-made crisis' (Global Humanitarian Assistance, 2017). This type of aid is often given in conflict zones, ‘an area marked by extreme violence’ (MerriamWebster, n.d.). Conflict effects the local population as it causes illness and injury, as well as creating an environment where there may be harassment of specific groups and forced displacement. It can also result in the destruction of places of importance, crops, and economic and social infrastructure such as hospitals and schools (Perrin, 1998). It is important that countries and organisations with the financial means donate humanitarian aid to places in a state of conflict as they have a moral obligation to save the lives of and prevent the suffering of other human beings (Ball, n.d.). Between 2002 and 2011, 15 out of 20 of the countries which receive the largest amounts of humanitarian aid were either currently experiencing or had recently experienced major civil conflict (Wood & Sullivan, 2015). Despite the necessity of humanitarian aid, there are many criticisms of its uses, particuarlly in conflict situations, where it can increase violence, prolong conflict, create further problems within the country of conflict and be used as a tool by the donor to push their own politics and policies.
The provision of humanitarian aid in conflict zones can be attributed to an increase in rebel violence. There are two main ways in which this happens, the provision of aid to non-combatants can encourage looting by rebel forces as they attempt to acquire supplies, and where rebels see humanitarian aid projects and organisations as a political force or as a challenge to their local authority they are more likely to use violence as a means of control (Wood & Sullivan, 2015). In most conflict situations rebel groups are the weaker party and thus experience pressure to secure resources. Rebel organisations benefit massively from the procurement of aid packages as they do not need to process or sell any resources before they are beneficial; food, medical resources and vehicles can be put to immediate use (Wood & Sullivan, 2015). Whilst looting supplies during the civil war in Sierra Leone, members of the Revolutionary United Front attacked, killed, and abducted refugees staying in camps along the Guinean border (Wood & Sullivan, 2015). Rebels in Monrovia during the Liberian Civil War took possession of around $20 million of aid (Wood & Sullivan, 2015) and members of the Lord’s Resistance Army attacked inhabitants of a settlement camp in Uganda killing and kidnapping inhabitants whilst looting food and other supplies (Wood & Sullivan, 2015). Moreover, rebels are likely to perceive aid organisations as a threat to their control of the local 11
