Difference between revisions of "Humanitarian NGO Sector"
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Oxfam, a British-based aid agency, has primarily been involved with water and sanitation projects. There have been problems with accessing clean water and electricity, both impacting the sewage treatment. After the attack on the United Nations Baghdad headquarters in August, Oxfam pulled its entire foreign staff out of the country and they now rely on a core team of 50 nationals. | Oxfam, a British-based aid agency, has primarily been involved with water and sanitation projects. There have been problems with accessing clean water and electricity, both impacting the sewage treatment. After the attack on the United Nations Baghdad headquarters in August, Oxfam pulled its entire foreign staff out of the country and they now rely on a core team of 50 nationals. | ||
| − | Save The Children has primarily been involved | + | Save The Children has primarily been involved in assisting Iraqi health and education services. One hundred staff continue to work in the country, including expatriates and Iraqi nationals. Following the attack on the UN, the agency suspended all operations in Baghdad. In order to ensure their safey, their staff had to be scaled down, impacting the efficiency of their work. |
Care International is helping to repair waste and sanitation facilities, as well as assisting with health education. It is one of the few agencies to have increased its presence despite the bomb attack. While other workers have been pulled out of Baghdad, Care International has moved its staff into the capital. | Care International is helping to repair waste and sanitation facilities, as well as assisting with health education. It is one of the few agencies to have increased its presence despite the bomb attack. While other workers have been pulled out of Baghdad, Care International has moved its staff into the capital. | ||
| − | World Food Programme , | + | World Food Programme , a United Nations agency, provides 60% of the Iraqi population (about 16 million people) with food parcels of wheat, flour, sugar, rice, milk powder, tea, detergent, pulses and cooking oil. |
| − | It is challenging for humanitarian NGOs to provide aid and relief efforts when | + | It is challenging for humanitarian NGOs to provide aid and relief efforts when they themselves are also at risk. Iraq is just one conflict zone that has put relief workers at risk the past few years. The current conflict in Darfur is preventing aid and humanitarian NGOs from going there and providing assistance because of the dangers it poses to their relief workers. A recent article from BBC News stated that nearly half a million people in the Darfur region of Sudan have less access to aid because of the increase in violence. Because of this violence, there has been a temporary withdrawal of workers that serve a total of 488,000 people. Those that withdrew humanitarian workers include Oxfam, the International Rescue Committee, Goal, Concern, World Vision, and the Norwegian Refugee Council. They said that violence against humanitarian workers have increased throughout Darfur since the beginning of December. “If the deterioration is allowed to continue, the impact on civilians could be devastating,” says Paul Smith-Lomas, Regional Director for Oxfam. “With new displacements and attacks, the presence of aid agencies is more important than ever. Yet every day brings one huge blow after another to aid efforts,” he adds. |
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| + | Because of the violence and increased conflict in these areas, humanitarian NGOs cannot provide aid, shelter, or food to the people. The violence and terrorism that occur affects the local populations not only because it puts their lives in danger and deteriorates their quality of life, but it prevents them from receiving aid from humanitarian NGOs. As much as the aid workers want to help the victims, when their own lives are put at risk, they have to withdraw until the situation is deemed safe to return. | ||
==Controversy with Humanitarian NGOs== | ==Controversy with Humanitarian NGOs== | ||
Revision as of 10:03, 6 August 2008
Humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are an integral component of international affairs and security, and integral to the functioning of the United Nations and the world at large. Some of the best known NGOs focus on humanitarian issues, such as the International Red Cross, Salvation Army, CARE International, and Oxfam.
Humanitarian NGOs are mainly concerned with the life and welfare of displaced persons and with the delivery of social services including food delivery, health and mental care, nutrition, and education and training.
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