Harming those doing good? The role of anti-aid rhetoric in explaining aid worker attacks

Abstract

Aid workers providing humanitarian assistance are commonly deployed to conflict-affected areas, however aid workers are increasingly finding themselves as targets of violent, and often deadly, attacks. Recent data has shown that major incidents toward aid workers have increased every year, yet there is little understanding as to why these attacks occur. I argue that in some contexts, aid is increasingly politicized, fueling division that regularly leaves humanitarian aid workers in the crossfire. In these contexts, marked anti-aid rhetoric flourishes, driven in part by a perception of helping “the other.” Using the case of Ethiopia, and particularly the Tigrai region, I show that aid workers have been targeted while delivering aid due to a history of politicizing aid and divisive conflict between Ethiopia’s ethnic groups. This has contributed to a rhetoric that humanitarian aid providers are aiding and abetting other groups considered the “enemy.” By shedding light on this alarming trend, this article aims to enhance our understanding of attacks on humanitarian staff.