interplay of personal and contextual factors that heighten risks to this
access should be analyzed, and mitigating programmes should be
designed to address the risks, as well as target the needs of vulnerable
people. Planning and feedback procedures by those dealing with the
crisis are very important.
I believe that HN actions taken at the earliest opportunity become very important
in the sense that they strengthen local capacity – utilizing local resources to
restore services, education, markets and livelihood opportunities to promote early
economic recovery and the ability of people to manage risk after external
assistance has ended. Therefore, it is time that governments become proactive,
rather than reactionary, in managing effects of crises.
The case study we dealt with in the U.S. Army War College PKSOI elective
course PS2206 (International Development) really brings out all the lessons to be
learned from both the positive and negative aspects involved in provision of
humanitarian assistance manifested on the ground.
I find that USAID looks at “resilience” as the desired endstate in the provision of
humanitarian assistance. I say so because the assistance is not rendered in
perpetuity, but by design will have to be discontinued at a certain point. I believe
that this is most appropriate when the ability of people, households, communities,
countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and
stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive
growth is achieved; this defines “resilience.”
Recommendation.
1. Humanitarian assistance should be undertaken with a definitive purpose,
emphasized to recipient governments and personnel in charge.
2. The host nation government should be made to understand that it is responsible to determine the required capacity for crisis response, as well as to
disseminate the intentions of humanitarian responders to the affected population.
3. The host nation government should overcome all forms of exploitation and
corruption, so that all affected people are afforded access to assistance without
discrimination.
Implications.
If systems are not put into place to preclude exploitation and corruption, then
hostilities and ill feelings by the affected persons may be directed against the
agencies providing the aid.
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