Experiences of humanitarian assistance programs with corporate funding

Abstract

Abstract Background Dwindling governmental funding for widespread natural disasters and armed conflicts have attracted corporate funding for humanitarian assistance. Although such funding has allowed expansion of humanitarian programs and capacity building, evaluations of such partnerships are rare and focus only on management aspects, without attention to possible influences on the organizations themselves and the populations they serve. Given the well-established conflicts of interest of corporations and their adverse influence on public health, an assessment of industry funding to humanitarian assistance is necessary to identify potential violations and harms. Methods The research explores the experiences and views of a sample of humanitarian agencies in Lebanon which serve refugee populations about corporate funding and influences on their programs. In-depth interviews with international and local humanitarian agency representatives in Lebanon were conducted and analyzed by thematic analysis. Results Findings indicate perceived advantages with financial assistance, flexible agendas and mutual learning. Meanwhile, challenges fall in project coordination, implementation, and the lack of attention of the private sector to the work ethics with vulnerable populations. Also, this collaboration could impact refugees positively or negatively depending on the type of corporations, their branding and how they are perceived by the populations served. Organizations trust that their processes of detection and reporting are an impervious firewall against conflicts of interest. Conclusions Corporate power expressed through funding to humanitarian agencies may influence the decision making and the implementation of the programs for humanitarian assistance. The study highlights the need for critical thinking about corporate funding, and creating opportunities for discussion about this issue for humanitarian agencies. Key messages Industry conflicts of interest on public health are well-established, but understudied in humanitarian assistance programs. Corporate funding for humanitarian assistance may hide potential conflicts of interest for the corporation.