Refugee Aid example essay topic

We regard aid from humanitarian organizations and governments to help large number of menaced refugees as a charitable and benevolent act of humanity. Never does it cross our mind that our donations and government funding that are intended to help might actually make the matters worse? In his article " Feeding Refugees, or War?" Ben Barber discusses the dilemma of humanitarian aid and speaks of its need of reform. In this paper, I will examine his essay and compare it to several related articles to support my position. Environmental and political crises have forced populations from their homes throughout human history. Since the twentieth century however, these crises have become a global political problem.

During the World War II era, humanitarian aids has become a big issue and won over many advocates; starting with the establishment of the Office of High Commissioner for Refugees by the General Assembly and followed afterwards by numerous Nongovernmental groups such as Save the Children, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, World Visions etc. Originally, humanitarian aid has the task of feeding, sheltering and protecting those who are threatened by deportation and persecution. Nowadays however, instead of alleviating the tragic situation of the refugees, these aids often lead to deterioration of the conflict. In fact, the author argues that refugee aid has fed wars despite its intention to abate the ravages of wars.

The problem are the Refugee camp, which offer resort for not only civilians but also militants masquerading as refugees so they can benefit from our aids and donations. Although idealistic aid workers are aware of this problem, they will not tolerate civilians suffering simply because militants are taking advantage of their help. It is the "weakness" and compassion of humanity that military groups and guerrillas rely on. The conflict in Cambodia is a perfect example that illustrates this problem. Relief agencies were established to deliver food and medication for the Cambodian refugees during daytime.

However in the night, Cambodian guerrilla forces spend the night in those camps, eat the food and use the medical supplies that were intended for the refugees. Furthermore they recruit well-fed young refugees and prepare for future attacks. Basically the refugee camps serve as bases for those guerrilla fighters and support and prolong unintentionally the fighting. Another critique of humanitarian aid is that it replaces political initiatives that could probably solve the roots of the conflict.

Instead humanitarian aids alleviate the situation temporarily but do not offer any solution in the long run. This argument is similar to the hypothesis of the article "Give war a chance" by Edward N. Luttwak in which he contends that it is crucial for some conflicts among ethnic groups to take place as a means of settling political disputes and that intervention by the United Nations and other groups is often counterproductive and should be discouraged. Ben Barber believes that there are six principles, which guerrillas leaders had studied and followed carefully in order to co-op international refugee aid for their own military and political purposes. Militants acknowledge the benefits that they can obtain from the refugee camps, namely that they can take control of it and at the same time hide among those civilians, receive free relieve and then launch more violence. Therefore in order to create refugee camps in the first place, they persuade or even force civilians to flee from their home country to take up their roles as refugees. It is also crucial for guerrilla fighters to have support from neighbor countries that will host the asylum and from the media that play the key role in making the global community aware of humanitarian needs.

Moreover, total control over information reaching the refugees and foreign allies "that can block diplomatic recognition of, aid to, and trade with the enemy", are needed for their success. Also militants reject aids that could improve situation of refugees unless it works towards their own goal. The author argues that in order to prevent future abuses and manipulation of humanitarian aid, we need to encounter these principles first, which requires changes in the international response to human suffering. However, cutting off humanitarian aid seems inhuman and unacceptable to most of us.

As a compromise, the author proposes demilitarization of relieve camps, although this solution would raise the question of sovereignty... Since separating fighters from refugees and a cutoff of aid is unimaginable, we need to find other ways to stop aid abuses. Consequently, the author recommends "isolating the refugees from the local community so that they would not get comfortable in the country". and argues that "it is vital that fundraising be separated from aid disbursement" A second crucial reform is the "legal bar against humanitarian aid from any party actively involved in hostilities, enacted through amendments to international conventions". Other possible tactics include "scattering refugees to reduce militia control and giving refugees an accurate picture of the situation back home through education and test visits by small groups that report back to their fellow refugees".

I do agree with Ben Barber's assertion that humanitarian assistance alone prolongs conflicts. We need a broader commitment to peaceful management and mediation of disputes. Temporarily humanitarian relieve solely does not go far. Nonetheless, it is of my believe that the asylum issue cannot remain unsolved. Ignoring the developing countries as Edward N. Luttwak advised might lead to the escalation of the conflict and new problems that are harder to solve might arise. The international organizations stand better chances of influencing the outcome if they get involved at the early stage of the conflict.

Barber also focuses too much on food, shelter and medical supply that international communities provide, that he forgot to mention another important factor; refugees are in great need of physical protection. Refugees are in constant danger, either threatened by enemies outside or by militants masquerading as refugees inside the camps. Refugees will never be fully recovered unless they are in a secure position. In order to guarantee security, we need military intervention from developed countries such as the US, since the developing countries are not capable of doing it themselves, as Steven Hans ch, a program officer at the Refugee Policy Group explains:" In certain circumstances our armed forces are the only ones who can do the job". Nonetheless, western nations, especially the United States are unenthusiastic about exposing their soldiers to danger if they do not receive anything in return. According to Eugene B. Mc Daniel, president of the American Defense Institute, US military has done already more than its share in humanitarian crises "Our troops are for defending our country and its national interest" (Assisting Refugees, David Masci).

I certainly believe that humanitarian aid can only be effective if it involves military intervention from developed countries. Abuses and manipulation of humanitarian aid could be for example partially prevented if the US would have sent soldiers to separate the militants from the civilians in refugee camps. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is perfectly aware of this dilemma and consequently requested help from the United States and other donor nations to commit the forces necessary to separate the extremists. However, the appeal fell on deaf ears. This gives the relief organizations little choice but to feed killers and innocents; and this method used by UNHCR makes matters worse. Moreover, Barber leaves out one important reason why rich countries simply cannot ignore the tragedy of poorer states.

The world is becoming a smaller and globalize place, and conflicts in Africa will affect us sooner or later one day. If we don't help out the refugees today, not only would this be inhumane but also the large number of refugees will eventually reach the shores of European nations and the United States. The political security of neighboring states, regions and the international system as a whole will be put at stake. According to Devout: International Law and Organization, refugee status has become a serious international concern.

Refugee is "a person who has left his or her country of nationality because of persecution or fear of persecution" Refugees might have the right to move from their own country but this does not confer them the right to enter another country and become its national. Refugees often jeopardize economic and political stability in host countries. Especially European countries have been facing serious asylum problems. On the other hand, it is of my belief that if host countries consider giving refugees citizenship rights instead of allowing them remain stateless and controlled by guerrilla forces, there is a possibility that the problem of aid manipulation could be solved.

Furthermore, for the of global economical well-being, which includes the developed nations, stability in developing nations is a necessity. Estimation suggests that by 2025, 30 percent of the world's population will live in Africa; it's impossible for us to disregard the problems of such a big part of the world. I draw from these arguments the conclusion that intervention, whether military or in form of humanitarian aid is indispensable and that international community should act whenever countries are unable to protect their own citizens; despite the assertion that any kind of international intervention might have worsen the situation. However, I am also aware that the relief workers are facing a difficult task in distinguishing between civilians and combatants as masses of people turn to the camps for assistance. It is fact that these abuses of outside aid are serving to increase instability and prolong a conflict that is a threat to everyone at the end.

It is crucial to release the tension between promoting justice and peace and providing immediate aid. In my opinion, the solutions that the author Ben Barer suggests could be a step towards this goal. Lack of coordination also impedes the effectiveness of humanitarian support. I mentioned earlier the unwillingness of US government to provide troops as one of the examples. In addition to this, lack of collaboration is also existent among these international organizations, as Barber observed. ".. two of the most prominent relief organizations there-Doctors Without Borders and the International Rescue Committee- could not stomach the abuse of aid this time, and pulled out.

Yet Bob Dev ecchi of the International Rescue Committee, who made the decision for his group, noted that U.N. officials immediately hired another NGO to administer the food handouts and other programs in the campus". (p. 320) It is obvious that international organizations are facing problems of competition and coordination. Agencies might have different priorities and goals that collide with each other. In my opinion, apart from the solutions that Barber suggests, it is crucial that agencies seek to cooperate with one another in order to benefit the local populace. Overall, I support the arguments and the solutions that Ben Barber asserts in his essay. He makes his point clear that there is a need for reform aid. However, he gives the impression that he does not exclude abolishing all kind of humanitarian aid and is also willing to allow the developing countries to fight until the very end and solve their own problem on their own.

I consider this as inappropriate and inhuman, since their problem will affect us eventually and watching innocent people suffering although we have to ability to help a little is morally unacceptable.

Bibliography

- Roberta Cohen and Francis M. Deng- Exodus Within Borders: The Uprooted Who Never Left Home - David Masci- Assisting Refugees - Thomas R Van Derv ort: International Law and Organization - Edward N. Luttwak- Give war a chance - Michael Maren- The Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity.