Disasters
Strengthening the ‘Rule of Law’ (RoL) has emerged as a key requirement in the reconstruction of conflict‐affected states. No longer simply a philosophical ideal, RoL now exists as a tangible set of policies created and implemented by international actors, to which conflict‐affected states are expected to conform. Masked in the neutral, apolitical rhetoric of blind and objective justice, RoL programming...
Book reviewed in this issue.
Seasons of Hunger: Fighting cycles of quiet starvation among the world's rural poor
Stephen Devereux, Bapu Vaitla and Samuel Hauenstein Swan
It is unclear how international donors' stated commitment to ownership and partnership ‘translates’ in fragile state or ‘post‐conflict’ settings. The very notion of ownership is violently contested in Afghanistan and donors have to negotiate with, and choose between, multiple state and non‐state interlocutors. The developmentalist principles outlined in the 2005 Paris Declaration may carry little...
One of the most demanding challenges since the occupation of Iraq in 2003 has been the establishment of security and stability. The continuation of violence by myriad armed groups is yet to be tackled as part of a comprehensive security sector reform initiative in which effective disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants will constitute a litmus test of success or failure...
This paper introduces the five other contributions that make up this special edition of Disasters. It presents some background on the general issues that surround the reconstruction of conflict‐affected countries, before going on to comment on some of the more prominent concerns that have emerged within the sphere of humanitarianism over the past decade or so. To contextualise the overall theme of...
This paper analyses the commodification of post‐tsunami aid in Sri Lanka, a process that ‘contaminated’ the ‘purity’ of good intentions with the politics of patronage and international aid. It argues that gifts are not just material transfers of ‘aid’, but also embodiments of cultural symbolism, social power, and political affiliations. The tsunami gift re‐enforced and reconfigured exchange relationships...
This paper assesses the political nature of reconstruction in Lebanon in the wake of the 33‐day war between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006. It illustrates the extent to which Arab and Gulf States assumed a major role in the reconstruction effort that followed the fighting. A significant competitive dynamic attached itself to the reconstruction of Lebanon, with external actors attempting...
This paper reviews how Nicaragua has recovered from Hurricane Mitch of October 1998. In particular, it examines how the assumptions and claims that were made during initial recovery planning have proven relevant in light of subsequent development. One must consider the response to Hurricane Mitch from the perspective of the broader trends that have driven recovery, including household, community and...
This paper examines practices of looting in the Somali war. Rather than being inspired primarily by economic objectives, lootings are complex and ambiguous social activities, which are embedded in daily practices and the political rhetoric of the war. In Somalia, looting activities have been driven by a broad range of motives, including military‐strategic considerations and/or desire to revenge past...
This paper explores the meta functions of humanitarianism—that is, the functions that, as an ideology, a movement and a profession, it performs, wittingly or unwittingly, in the early twenty‐first century. The term humanitarianism is used as shorthand to encompass a complex set of currents of thought, actions and institutions of which the boundaries are unclear. The focus is on mainstream humanitarianism,...
This paper examines the impact of the presence of international humanitarian organisations on local urban transformation processes in the city of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Rather than evaluating the direct effects of humanitarian interventions and strategies, it focuses on the indirect but profound effects of the presence of this ‘humanitarian sector’. It argues that the international...
In conflict and post‐conflict societies, service delivery is complex both in terms of actors and of the kinds of services provided. The dominant framework of humanitarian space, with its strong focus on international humanitarian assistance and on humanitarian principles, does not fully capture the dynamics and process of service delivery. This paper proposes an alternative analytical framework that...
In the protracted Colombian conflict, assistance to internally displaced persons has developed in the context of contradictory political processes. The Colombian government's launching of a transitional justice process in the midst of armed conflict has generated a complex situation displaying both conflict and post‐conflict characteristics. The progressive Constitutional Court rulings on internal...
This paper presents the findings from research on livelihoods–protection linkages from the perspective of conflict‐affected populations as well as agency analysis and action. The aim of the research is to understand how greater complementarity between humanitarian protection and livelihoods approaches might reduce the risks facing conflict‐affected populations. The findings show that the causes of...
Those who intervene in crises must take care to ensure that assistance does not undermine the processes through which social cohesion is generated or restored. From a neo‐Durkheimian analytical perspective, feeding creates social loyalties as well as saves lives. Humanitarian agencies provide practical assistance to livelihoods, but they need also to create space for the ritual agency on which social...
Paradoxically, elements of cruelty are intrinsic to the humanitarian enterprise. This paper focuses on some of these. Escapable cruelties arise from technical failings, but the gradual professionalisation of the field and improvements in relief technologies mean that they have been significantly reduced in comparison to earlier eras. Other cruelties arise from clashes among rights, and the tensions...
This paper focuses on the ‘Sri Lankan model’ of counter‐insurgency and stabilisation and its implications for humanitarian and development actors. The Sri Lanka case shows that discourses, policies and practices associated with ‘stabilisation’ are not confined to ‘fragile state’ contexts in which there is heavy (and often militarised) international engagement—even though exemplars such as Afghanistan...
This paper explores the evolution of international stabilisation agendas and their significance for humanitarian action. Stabilisation includes a combination of military, humanitarian, political and economic activities to control, contain and manage areas affected by armed conflict and complex emergencies. Encompassing narrow security objectives and broader peace‐building efforts, stabilisation is...
United States foreign assistance to Pakistan has always been driven by security considerations. By 2010, US counter‐terrorism and stabilisation objectives resulted in Pakistan becoming the second largest recipient of US foreign aid globally. Given the policy impact of the assumption that aid promotes US security objectives in Pakistan, there is surprisingly little analysis or evidence of its effectiveness...