TUFTS Humanitarian Agenda 2015: Perceptions of the Pakistan Earthquake Response

The devastating earthquake that struck northern Pakistan and the disputed territory of Kashmir in October 2005 killed approximately 75,000 people, injured 70,000 more, and left an estimated 3.5 million people homeless. The subsequent relief effort, which was led by the Pakistan Army and included local citizens, national and international aid agencies, US and NATO military forces, and even Islamic militant groups, was one of the most effective responses ever to a natural disaster of this magnitude. Andrew Wilder of the Feinstein International Center examines the earthquake response in the latest in a series of the Center’s reports on the state of humanitarianism.

This new Humanitarian Agenda 2015 study, “Perceptions of the Pakistan Earthquake Response,” records the perceptions of both aid providers and aid recipients in the earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In particular, Wilder examines perceptions regarding the following four issues: the universality of humanitarian principles, the impact of the War on Terror on the earthquake response, the role of the Pakistan Army in leading the response, and the security of humanitarian aid workers.

The report is available for download from the Tufts website.

WILPF: Women and Cluster Munitions

From the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom:

Victim assistance is frequently referred to as the cornerstone of a future instrument on cluster munitions. In order to adequately address the inhumane suffering caused by the use of these weapons, care for their innocent victims must be the focus of an international treaty. There is a general understanding among states participating in the Oslo Process that ‘victim’ is a multifaceted term, much larger than the individual, encompassing the victim’s family and larger community.

Implicit in the consideration of the term ‘victim’ is also the consideration of gender and age. Men, women, girls, and boys are affected differently by the threat posed by the presence of cluster munitions in their communities. Gender influences the role an individual plays in their community; in their social and economic activities and their likelihood of becoming a cluster munitions victim or their ability to access medical attention or risk education and awareness.

The report can be downloaded from Reliefweb.

ICRC: International humanitarian law and the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts

A report from the ICRC aims to generate reflection and debate on a number of current challenges in the field of international humanitarian law (IHL) identified by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and to outline prospective ICRC action aimed at clarifying and developing IHL.

The report follows up on a number of specific issues raised in a previous report on the same topic presented to the 28th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2003 and gives an overview of new or emerging issues deserving discussion. While the report was primarily written to serve as a background document for the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, the ICRC hopes that its contents will be of interest to a wider readership as well.

The report can be downloaded from Reliefweb.

International Alert and SIDA: A Climate of Conflict

Growing strains on ecosystems translate directly into national, regional and global security threats. Pollution, desertification, scarcity of fresh water, changing weather patterns resulting in floods, storms, etc, cause food insecurity and population displacements, which may lead to political instability and violent conflicts. These, in turn, risk setting back development by decades.

Two-thirds of the world's population live in countries that are at high risk of instability as a consequence of climate change. Many of the countries predicted to be worst affected by climate change are also affected, or threatened, by violent conflicts. The very poor are hit the hardest.

Climate change also impacts on regional and global economic patterns, with new risks for investors and corporations. Consequently, the need for social, environmental, political and economic stability must go hand in hand. Tackling the challenges of climate change must include a holistic perspective of state- and human security. Greater awareness and preparedness is needed on the part of organisations, businesses, public officials and state agencies. This timely and essential report not only outlines the challenges and risks, but also includes an important list of recommendations.

Read more on Reliefweb.

Tufts: The Scramble for Cattle, Power and Guns in Karamoja

This new report on the Karamoja Cluster of Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia is the result of several years of field work by a respected Teso elder from the region with assistance from a Turkana woman. Dr. Akabwai, the lead author, has over thirty years of experience in the Karamoja Cluster, where he started working as a large animal veterinarian in the early 1970s. Based on his extensive contacts within local communities, Dr. Akabwai was able to gain access to privileged information on the weapons trade and cattle raiding that underpin the widespread insecurity across the larger region. Ms. Ateyo’s participation in the research facilitated access to women of all ages. The result is a unique and thorough examination and analysis that includes gendered and generational perspectives.

The report focuses on the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda as an area of high demand for weapons, lack of law and order, and violent and increasingly brutal cattle raids predominantly carried out by armed male youth. The authors argue that the response by the Ugandan government to the insecurity—which to date has largely been through forced disarmament—has failed to address the underlying causes of the insecurity, including the high demand for weapons and lack of law and order. Coupled with the failure of the state to provide adequate protection, the result is a cycle of violence and increased insecurity with pronounced negative social, economic and political consequences for the people of the region and adjacent areas.

The report can be downloaded from the Tufts website.

Kenya Crisis: The Challenge of Impartiality

The recent violence following the general election in Kenya has shocked the world and led to thousands of Kenyans displaced and divided along ethnic lines. Whilst the media spotlight has turned towards the politics of the crisis, the humanitarian impact of the ongoing violence is huge, with hundreds of thousands of Kenyans in the affected provinces still badly in need of assistance.

The need for neutral and impartial humanitarian assistance is paramount and the Kenya Red Cross, supported by the ICRC, was the first agency to respond to the crisis. They are the lead agency for the response in Kenya and Kenya Red Cross' staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly since the beginning of the violence to reach those affected.

With the politics of the crisis being so keenly examined, so are the tribal tensions that have surfaced as a result of the crisis. Stories of people being attacked and killed due to their tribal affiliations have been widely reported and the violence has led to mass displacement along ethnic lines. Due to the highly charged nature of the crisis, criticism regarding the aid response was inevitable. I have read some blogs where people have expressed views that perhaps agencies, including the Red Cross, have been partial in their response: favouring certain groups of Kenyans over others. Evidence to support these views has not been produced and the majority of Kenyans are overwhelmingly in support of the work of the Red Cross.

So how does the Red Cross maintain impartiality in such a polarised crisis? All Red Cross/Red Crescent National Societies are guided by the seven fundamental principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality. The current Red Cross response in Kenya is a fantastic example of a National Society delivering impartial aid in a highly complex and political crisis.

Kenya Red Cross has worked very hard to ensure the response to the current post election violence in Kenya is not along ethnic lines. As a result of this neutral and impartial mandate, Kenya Red Cross is respected by the Kenyan people and has access to many parts of the country to provide much needed assistance to people caught up in the violence. Kenya Red Cross staff and volunteers are made up of a cross section of the Kenyan society, and is representative of all peoples living in Kenya.

There are very real difficulties for a national Red Cross of working in a context of internal violence and the Kenya Red Cross has taken various measures to ensure that their assistance to the affected people is not partial. Assessments are based on needs and not tribal affiliations. Kenya Red Cross has moved staff and volunteers around the country to work in the Rift Valley to avoid tribal tensions, ensure impartiality and to avoid staff and volunteers being exposed to possible violence due to tribal affiliation.

The Kenya Red Cross is working with the support of the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) who assists Kenya Red Cross with both assessing needs and with the provision of support in line with the seven fundamental principles. Kenya Red Cross is a strong organisation which has trained staff and volunteers all over the country ready to respond.

With the support of the ICRC, Kenya Red Cross responded immediately to the needs of those affected by the violence and together they ensure needs are accurately assessed and that aid reaches all the affected regions.

For further information on the work of the Kenya Red Cross please visit the Kenya Red Cross website.

Wahenga: The Practitioners' Guide to the Household Economy Approach

The Household Economy Approach (HEA) is a livelihoods-based framework for analysing the way people obtain food, non-food goods and services, and how they might respond to changes in their external environment - a negative shock, such as a drought or crop failure, or a positive policy change, such as a cash transfer scheme.

Co-financed by the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP), Save the Children and FEG Consulting, the Practitioners' Guide to the Household Economy Approach provides practical 'how to' tools for those involved in the fieldwork and analysis of HEA assessments. It will also be a useful refresher for experienced practitioners.

The Guide is presented as a series of seven chapters, each of which is a self-contained module specific to a particular aspect of HEA. These are supplemented by two sections; one focussing on how to use market assessment to help determine an appropriate response to acute food insecurity and another for advanced practitioners who are being trained to take on team leader roles.

Although this is not meant to be used as a 'do-it-yourself' guide for those with no exposure to HEA, each subject is presented in clear, logical steps that should - in conjunction with formal training - enable fairly quick uptake for relative newcomers to HEA.

You can read the guide online at the Wahenga website.

Tufts: Responding to Violence in Ikotos County, South Sudan: Government and Local Efforts to Restore Order

This new report from an understudied area details the effects of and responses to violence in Ikotos County in Eastern Equatoria in Southern Sudan. The author, Clement Ochan, is from Southern Sudan and draws upon five years o experience, observation, and interviews in Ikotos and supplements this information with data from interviews with local officials and community groups.

Ikotos was spared much of the fighting during Sudan’s protracted north-south war but has been host to violence and insecurity caused by tensions between sub-tribes, displacement brought by the presence of soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and of the Government of Sudan (GoS), and activity by the Ugandan rebels, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The supply of weapons increased with the presence of the various armed groups. Cattle raids and revenge attacks among sub-tribes became increasingly deadly. By the 1990s Ikotos was infamous for its high rate of gun violence. This report examines the effects of violence on communities and the efforts of local leaders and civil society organizations to address and eventually curb this violence.

Inhabited by a number of minority ethnic groups, this region of Southern Sudan has received relatively little attention over the years. This report provides valuable insights and analysis on the extent and repercussions of violence in the area, the gendered and generational effects of the insecurity, and the role of grassroots and official efforts to prevent the violence. This rich analysis allows for a better understanding of both the prospects for stability and the implications for regional stability should peace not be realized.

You can download the report from the Tufts website.