Becoming an International Humanitarian Aid Worker

Chen Reis, Tania Bernath

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9780128043141
• eBook ISBN: 9780128043851
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Public Affairs & Administration
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Becoming an International Humanitarian Aid Worker draws on the experiences of those currently working and those hiring people to work in humanitarian aid today, and an analysis of job postings over a 9-month period. It provides relevant information and advice to help jobseekers make more informed decisions about what steps to take. It first pushes prospective job seekers to reflect on whether this is the right career path for them. It then provides tried and tested strategies for preparing for a humanitarian career and being competitive in the humanitarian job market, serving as a comprehensive guide for those thinking about a career in international humanitarian aid.- Features advice drawn from an analysis of humanitarian jobs, a survey of aid workers, and interviews with human resource staff and humanitarian professionals- Written in a conversational style with anecdotes, advice and stories from people working in the industry today- Features useful tips and exercises in every chapter to help you put your best foot forward- Provides links to useful and relevant internet resources through a dedicated web page

Part I

Background Information

Outline

Chapter 1 International Humanitarian Aid Today

Chapter 2 Humanitarian Organizations and Jobs

Chapter 3 The Reality of Working in Humanitarian Aid

Chapter 1

International Humanitarian Aid Today

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of international humanitarian aid work and distinguishes it from other forms of assistance. It defines the four key humanitarian principles: impartiality, neutrality, humanity, and independence. It outlines the current status of humanitarian aid, provides a review of some major trends, and information on changes that may have implications for the current and future job markets in humanitarian aid. The exercise at the end of the chapter is a review of the chapter and designed to help the reader become more conversant with humanitarian principles.

Keywords

International humanitarian aid; relief; human rights; protracted emergency; international humanitarian law; humanitarian principles; impartiality; independence; neutrality; humanity; disaster; development

This chapter gives an overview of international humanitarian aid work. It outlines the current status, provides a review of some major trends, including up-to-date developments, and information on changes that may have implications for the current and future job market.

1.1 Background¹

Humanitarian action provides life-saving goods and services to people and communities affected by crises. The principal functions of humanitarian aid are to provide relief following a crisis that overwhelms the capacity of the state and local actors to respond, and to meet the basic humanitarian needs of affected populations. Crises include situations of conflict or war, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, failures of development or governance, or some combination of those.² The magnitude and type of the needs varies from crisis to crisis, and humanitarian responses must be tailored accordingly. Capacity building for local actors to help mitigate the impact of future disasters, and advocacy activities to improve access to populations in crisis and ensure principled approaches to humanitarian action are also key activities that the humanitarian system engages in, to some extent, in all crises.³

Humanitarian assistance can support national capacity to respond to a disaster, step in when governments are absent, or intervene to protect and aid civilians caught in conflict.

Humanitarian response is guided by the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. The provision of humanitarian aid is supposed to be free from any political, financial, or military pressure. It should be provided neutrally and impartially without taking sides, and with a focus on the most vulnerable (often women, children, the elderly, or those with a disability). The guidance and framework provided by these principles is a key factor that distinguishes humanitarian assistance from development and other forms of assistance. Interpretation of, and adherence and attention to, these principles vary between organizations. References to resources can also be found at the end of this chapter. Table 1.1 provides the definition of each of the principles.

Table 1.1

Humanitarian Principles and Their Definitions*

Humanitarian Principles	Definition
Humanity	The principle that all those in humanitarian need have a right to assistance. This is also known as the “humanitarian imperative.”
Impartiality	Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need(s) alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class, or political opinions
Neutrality	Humanitarian actors must not take sides in hostilities or engage in controversies of a political, racial, religious, or ideological nature
Independence	Humanitarian aid must be autonomous from the political, economic, military, or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented

*Drawn from http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/UN-OCHA-Humanitarian-Principles-in-Brief.pdf

Top Tip

The key to understanding the difference between humanitarian aid and other kinds of assistance is comprehending the four key humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. Become conversant with these concepts.

The Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) proposes four basic models for humanitarian response. These are:

• the Comprehensive support model where needs are great and host-government capacity is lacking, such as in Central African Republic or South Sudan

• the Constrained support model which applies in situations of conflict where access to the population and adherence to humanitarian principles is a major challenge such as in Syria, Afghanistan, or Yemen

• the Cooperative support model where there is local capacity that needs to be strengthened often in countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and/or Lebanon

• the Consultative support model where there is significant state capacity but some gaps need to be filled during a massive crisis; mostly natural disasters that impact middle- to high-income countries such as China and Japan.²

The data show that disasters caused by natural hazards affect the same regions, countries, and communities time and time again, often on a cyclical basis.⁴ This results in significant ongoing investment by agencies into Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategies that seek to reduce or mitigate the effects of the natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, and typhoons.⁵

The response undertaken due to natural disasters is often shorter-term in nature, while the response for conflicts can take much longer, with humanitarian aid often required for years and sometimes decades. In conflict settings, it is often difficult to say when emergencies end and other phases (recovery or development) begin. This ambiguity is especially present in situations of long-term conflict and displacement, which are referred to as protracted emergencies or protracted crises.

In 2014, the Global Humanitarian Assistance Project estimated that close to two-thirds (61%) of official humanitarian assistance from donors went to settings that have been receiving assistance for 8 years or more, and a further 29% of the contexts have been receiving aid between 3 and 7 years.⁴ It is only the remaining 10% of funding that went to settings that received short-term assistance.⁴ In 2015, the total amount spent on humanitarian response efforts was close to US$28 billion.²

With an increase in need and funding there has also been an increase in the number of people entering the field. Today, there are an estimated 450,000 humanitarian aid workers globally working with 11 UN agencies, over 780 international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), some 3500 national humanitarian nongovernmental organizations, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.⁶ The majority of people doing humanitarian work are nationals who come from the countries where the crises or humanitarian responses are taking place.

1.2 Changes to Humanitarian Work

The current humanitarian system originated in the middle of the 1800s with the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Since then, in order to address growing needs and new situations, the international humanitarian aid system and its work have evolved and changed. Since the 1990s, there have been particularly significant changes to how the international humanitarian system is organized and how it does its work. With the international humanitarian aid system growing in size, resource allocation, and complexity, there has been a corresponding effort to improve coordination and effectiveness.

Here we will focus on the reforms since 2005. The first set of reforms in 2005 was in reaction to perceived failures of the humanitarian system responses in Darfur, and in the countries affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. One of the changes made in the 2005 Humanitarian Reform was the establishment of the Cluster Approach that was developed as strategy to enhance coordinatio...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I: Background Information
• Part II: Preparing to Work in Humanitarian Aid
• Part III: Searching for Jobs and What You Need to Know When You Have an Offer
• Glossary