Constructing humanitarian space in Darfur

Abstract

Humanitarian space has become a key concept in the field of humanitarianism. Much of the focus has been on how actors on the ground can expand or constrain humanitarian space. This article places humanitarian space within a broader global normative context, arguing that the recent development of global human rights supporting norms and practices may, at times, have the perverse effect of constraining humanitarian space and undermining humanitarian action. It uses the case of Darfur to illuminate the complex global dynamics of humanitarian space, arguing that in addition to the actions of armed rebel group and state militaries, humanitarian space is constrained and constructed by international military forces, in particular peacekeeping forces, as well as the presence and independent action of the International Criminal Court, all of which construct the geopolitical plane in which humanitarians work.