Protection for Humanitarian Relief Operations

Abstract

Abstract : Internal strife over the past decade has often involved the deliberate targeting of civilians for violent attack. A result of the deliberate attacks on civilians is that humanitarian relief workers and their charges increasingly require protection. Effective humanitarian protection will normally require a combined response from military, constabulary (armed police), and police organizations--both indigenous and international. Protecting internally displaced persons is the most daunting challenge because this usually requires military intervention, for which an international mandate is rarely possible and almost never timely enough. In dealing with refugees, the best approach is to maximize reliance on indigenous capabilities, especially police, to minimize the use of foreign military forces, and to tailor international civilian support to the circumstances.