Humanitarian Aid Workers Research Articles

Understanding leadership challenges faced by humanitarian aid workers: insights from the experiences of NNPHL training participants

This paper examines the self-reported leadership challenges experienced by humanitarian aid workers who participated in the National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership (NNPHL) Program. Data were drawn from NNPHL program participants describing leadership challenges they faced in their humanitarian work. Responses were analyzed qualitatively revealing 10 broad themes of leadership challenges: (1) organizational capacity and resource constraints, (2) managerial decision-making styles, (3) bureaucracy and external influence, (4) purpose, motivation, and influence, (5) coordination and cooperation, (6) trust and cohesion within teams, (7) staff well-being and burnout, (8) identity and diversity, (9) self-efficacy and confidence, (10) security. These findings were then situated in the broader literature on challenges identified in humanitarian aid contexts. Humanitarian aid workers offer valuable first-hand insights into the leadership challenges they face in their work. Understanding leadership challenges from the perspective of aid workers provides valuable insight that can be used to inform decision-making and policy development within humanitarian organizations. The findings can also help inform and shape the development of humanitarian training programs by tailoring humanitarian education curricula to address the challenges encountered by aid workers themselves.

Correlates of risk-taking behaviour and suicidality among humanitarian aid workers

In an era of high need for humanitarian assistance, humanitarian aid workers face increased exposure to potentially traumatic events and, correspondingly, a greater risk of psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and burnout). Less studied among humanitarian workers, however, are other known correlates of trauma-exposure: complex PTSD, risk-taking behaviours, and suicidality. The current study examined levels of trauma exposure and rates of trauma-related mental health disorders, risk-taking behaviour, and levels of suicidality among a sample (N = 232) of humanitarian workers located across 52 countries. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine which demographic (i.e., sex, age, cadre, years working as an aid worker), psychological (i.e., social support, personality traits), and trauma-related (trauma exposure, complex posttraumatic stress disorder [CPTSD] symptoms, and dissociation) variables were uniquely associated with risk-taking behaviours and suicidality. Overall, 12.9 % (95 % CI = 8.5 %, 17.2 %) of humanitarian workers met the diagnostic requirements for PTSD, and 8.6 % (95 % CI = 5.0 %, 12.2 %) met requirements for CPTSD. Higher risk-taking behaviours were significantly associated with being male, an international worker, greater trauma exposure, extraversion, neuroticism, and CPTSD symptoms. Suicidality was significantly associated with being an international staff member and higher levels of dissociation. Results are consistent with previous studies citing a high risk of psychological distress among humanitarian workers. Humanitarian aid agencies have a duty of care to their workers - both professional and volunteer - and greater safeguarding measures are necessary to mitigate the risk to mental health brought on by humanitarian work-related stressors.

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

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.

Examining Qatari humanitarian diplomacy: key features, challenges and prospects

In recent years, Qatar has emerged as a key actor in humanitarian diplomacy (HD), which has received limited academic attention. This paper provides an analysis of Qatar’s engagement with HD, drawing on a literature review and extensive interviews with officials and humanitarian workers in Qatar, observations of state activities and humanitarian agencies, and personal interviews with international humanitarian aid workers. The study reveals Qatar’s unique strategy, characterised by its diplomatic stance and the integrated efforts of its governmental and non-governmental sectors, as foundational to its HD efforts. The study also reports challenges hindering those efforts, namely the impacts of the political tensions, the lack of diplomatic immunity for humanitarian workers, and a scarcity of specialised expertise in HD. These are explored in terms of their implications for the effectiveness of Qatar’s efforts, emphasising the critical need for enhanced supportive frameworks, targeted capacity-building initiatives, and well-defined protocols for HD engagement. To add to the dialogue on HD, this paper reflects on Qatar’s engagement in HD, suggesting that smaller nations can meaningfully contribute when leveraging their strengths and international relationships.

Value-driven attitude surveys: Lessons from the refugee crisis in Greece.

Community reaction to refugees and asylum-seekers is often gauged by attitude surveys that are not designed to overcome built-in bias. Questionnaires that do not account for context and background consequently yield results that misrepresent community attitudes and offer predictably negative responses to immigrant groups. Such surveys can alter public perception, fuel anti-refugee sentiment, and affect policy simply because of how they are constructed. This model survey among humanitarian aid-workers from nine Greek non-governmental organizations uses specific techniques designed to overcome these challenges by applying sample familiarity, non-inflammatory hypothesis-testing, educational question stems, intentional ordering of questions, and direct questioning rather than surrogate measures like statistical approximation. Respondents working in the refugee crisis in Greece demonstrate how empathy, education, and exposure to refugees serve to overcome the harmful stereotypes of outsiders as contributors to crime, terror, and social burden.

The occurrence of and factors associated with mental ill-health amongst humanitarian aid workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Humanitarian crises and disasters affect millions of people worldwide. Humanitarian aid workers are civilians or professionals who respond to disasters and provide humanitarian assistance. In doing so, they face several stressors and traumatic exposures. Humanitarian aid workers also face unique challenges associated with working in unfamiliar settings. To determine the occurrence of and factors associated with mental ill-health among humanitarian aid workers. CINAHL plus, Cochrane library, Global Health, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science were searched from 2005-2020. Grey literature was searched on Google Scholar. PRISMA guidelines were followed and after double screening, studies reporting occurrence of mental ill-health were included. Individual narratives and case studies were excluded, as were studies that reported outcomes in non-humanitarian aid workers. Data on occurrence of mental ill-health and associated factors were independently extracted and combined in a narrative summary. A random effects logistic regression model was used for the meta-analysis. Nine studies were included with a total of 3619 participants, reporting on five types of mental ill-health (% occurrence) including psychological distress (6.5%-52.8%); burnout (8.5%-32%); anxiety (3.8%-38.5%); depression (10.4%-39.0%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (0% to 25%). Hazardous drinking of alcohol ranged from 16.2%-50.0%. Meta-analysis reporting OR (95% CI) among humanitarian aid workers, for psychological distress was 0.45 (0.12-1.64); burnout 0.34 (0.27-0.44); anxiety 0.22 (0.10-0.51); depression 0.32 (0.18-0.57) and PTSD 0.11 (0.03-0.39). Associated factors included young age, being female and pre-existing mental ill-health. Mental ill-health is common among humanitarian aid workers, has a negative impact on personal well-being, and on a larger scale reduces the efficacy of humanitarian organisations with delivery of aid and retention of staff. It is imperative that mental ill-health is screened for, detected and treated in humanitarian aid workers, before, during and after their placements. It is essential to implement psychologically protective measures for individuals working in stressful and traumatic crises.

Effective Tracking of Hostility Against Humanitarian Aid Workers: A Rescue Time-Mortality Modelling and Rated Security Approach

Effective Tracking of Hostility Against Humanitarian Aid Workers: A Rescue Time-Mortality Modelling and Rated Security Approach

0935 Sleep Disturbances Correlate Significantly with PTSD and Emotional Exhaustion in Humanitarian Aid Workers

0935 Sleep Disturbances Correlate Significantly with PTSD and Emotional Exhaustion in Humanitarian Aid Workers

Indirect Exposure to Atrocities and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Aid Workers: Hemispheric Lateralization Matters.

Background: Humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) are indirectly exposed to atrocities relating to people of concern (POC). This may result in a risk of secondary traumatization demonstrated by post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). Previous studies have demonstrated that hemispheric lateralization (HL) moderates the relationship between threat exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). Aims: We hypothesized that indirect exposure to atrocities (IETA) would be positively correlated with PTSSs among HAWs with right and not left HL. Method: Fifty-four HAWs from several countries that provided humanitarian support in Greece and Colombia participated in this correlational and cross-sectional observation study. They completed scales relating to IETA, PTSSs were assessed using a brief, valid scale, and HL was measured. Results: IETA was positively and significantly related to PTSSs (r = 0.39, p < 0.005). Considering HL, IETA was unrelated to PTSSs among people with right HL (r = 0.29, p = 0.14), while IETA was related to PTSSs among people with left HL (r = 0.52, p = 0.008). Right HL emerged as a protective factor in the relationship between IETA and PTSS. Conclusions: An assessment of dominant HL can serve as one consideration among others when deploying HAWs in specific locations and roles, vis à vis IETA. Moreover, those found to have a higher risk for PTSSs based on their HL could be monitored more closely to prevent adverse reactions to IETA.

Health problems and exposure to infectious risks in returning humanitarian aid workers.

Humanitarian aid workers are exposed to deployment-related health threats. Identifying subgroups at a higher risk of infection in this diverse population could help optimize prevention. We carried out a retrospective study based on anonymized data of humanitarian aid workers that visited our clinic for a post-deployment visit between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021. We conducted a descriptive analysis of basic demographic data, self-reported risk exposure and health problems encountered during deployment extracted from a standard questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to 1238 aid workers during 1529 post-deployment medical consultations. The median age was 37.2years (IQR 31.7-44.3), and 718/1529 (47.0%) were female aid workers. The median duration of deployment was 6months (IQR 3-12months). Most deployments (1321/1529 (86.4%)) were for a medical organization and in Sub-Saharan Africa (73.2%). The most common risk exposures were contact with freshwater in schistosomiasis endemic regions (187/1308 (14.3%)), unprotected sexual contact with a person other than a regular partner (138/1529 (9.0%)), suspected rabies exposure (56/1529 (3.7%)) and accidental exposure to blood (44/1529 (2.9%)). Gastrointestinal problems (487/1529 (31.9%)), malaria (237/1529 (15.5%)) and respiratory tract infections (94/1529 (6,2%)) were the most encountered health problems. Fifteen volunteers (1%) were hospitalized during deployment and 19 (1.2%) repatriated due to health problems. Adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis was poor, only taken according to the prescription in 355 out of 1225 (29.0%) of aid workers for whom prophylaxis was indicated. Humanitarian aid workers deployed abroad encounter significant rates of health problems and report a high level of risk exposure during their deployment, with the risks being greatest among younger people, those deployed to rural areas, and those working for non-medical organizations. These findings help guide future pre-deployment consultations, to increase awareness and reduce risk behaviour during deployment, as well as focus on adherence to medical advice such as malaria chemoprophylaxis.

#AidToo, or when situation permits rape: sexual violence among humanitarian aid workers

This article explores the prevalent issue of sexual violence against and among humanitarian aid workers, with a focus on why the aid sector creates a particularly permissive environment for sexual violence. Although the issue is primarily an industry problem, with both perpetrators and survivors being members of the aid community, humanitarian organizations have been hesitant to address the issue. The article argues that legal ambiguities, barriers to accessing justice, and organizational mismanagement contribute to the permissive environment in the aid industry. Drawing on secondary survivor testimonies and legal frameworks, I highlight the need for more tangible prevention and follow-up mechanisms for survivors based on the legal duty of care of aid organizations. The analysis underscores the need for a comprehensive and proactive approach to addressing sexual violence within the aid sector, grounded in an understanding of power dynamics and organizational culture.

The multilevel correlates, contributions, and consequences of leader humility in humanitarian aid work.

Leader humility has been linked to many positive outcomes but not examined in humanitarian aid work. Three studies examined the multilevel correlates, contributions, and consequences of leader humility in Medair-a large, multinational, faith-based aid organization. Study 1 examined correlates of leader humility in a sample of 308 workers and 167 leaders. Study 2 explored multilevel contributions of leader humility in 96 teams comprised of 189 workers. Study 3 utilized a subsample (50 workers, 34 leaders) to explore consequences of Time 1 leader and team humility on outcomes 6 months later. Participants completed measures of humility (general, relational, team), leader and team attributions (e.g., effectiveness, cohesion, and growth-mindedness), organizational outcomes (e.g., job engagement and satisfaction; worker and team performance), and psychological outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, compassion satisfaction, and flourishing). Leader and team humility contributed to multilevel positive attributions about leaders (as effective and impactful), teams (as cohesive, psychologically safe, and growth-minded), and oneself (as humble), and those attributions contributed to organizational and psychological outcomes. Teams' shared attributions of their leader's humility contributed to higher worker job satisfaction and team performance. Longitudinally, for workers and leaders, leader and team humility were associated with some positive organizational and psychological outcomes over time. In humanitarian organizations, leader humility seems to act as an attributional and motivational social contagion that affects aid personnel's positive attributions about their leaders, teams, and themselves. In turn, these multilevel positive attributions contribute to several positive team, organizational, and psychological outcomes among workers and leaders.

Forms of sexual violence perpetrated in conflict and post-conflict settings against South Sudanese men resettled in two communities in Uganda: an exploratory qualitative study

BackgroundConsideration for men as survivors of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings has gained some prominence in the last decade. There remains a paucity of empirical data on forms of sexual violence from the survivors’ perspective, and no study has considered the context of the 2013 South Sudan conflict specifically.MethodsThis paper reports the findings of an exploratory qualitative study on the forms of sexual violence perpetrated against men in conflict and post-conflict settings, with the survivors as the main participants. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 26 South Sudanese male sexual violence survivors who have resettled in two refugee resettlement communities in Uganda since the onset of the 2013 South Sudan conflict. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data from the male survivors. Six humanitarian aid workers who support sexual violence survivors also participated as key informants. Thematic data analysis was performed on the qualitative data.ResultsThe 26 survivors reported experiencing eight direct and two indirect forms of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings. The direct forms include (1) striping men naked; (2) male rape; (3) exchange of sex for favours; (4) forcing men to rape other people; (5) genital mutilation; (6) genital beating; (7) insertion of objects into men’s anus, and (8) taking men as wives. The indirect forms were forcing men to witness the rape of a female relative and forcing men to cheer or assist during the rape of other people.ConclusionTo maximize positive health outcomes for survivors, stakeholders must consider both direct and indirect forms of male-directed conflict-related sexual violence in policy and practice.

Risk factors for clinical stages of COVID-19 amongst employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) worldwide over a period of 12 months

BackgroundEssential workers carry a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 mortality than individuals working in non-essential activities. Scientific studies on COVID-19 risk factors and clinical courses for humanitarian aid workers (HAW) specifically are lacking. The nature of their work brings HAW in proximity to various populations, therefore potentially exposing them to the virus. The objective of this study is to assess severity degrees of COVID-19 in relation to multiple risk factors in a cohort of HAW.MethodsRetrospective cohort study of data collected by the Staff Health Unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross, over 12 months (February 2021 – January 2022). Prevalence of demographic and health risk factors and outcome events were calculated. Factors associated with disease severity were explored in univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Resulting OR were reported with 95%CI and p-values from Wald Test. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsWe included 2377 patients. The mean age was 39.5y.o. Two thirds of the patients were males, and 3/4 were national staff. Most cases (3/4) were reported by three regions (Africa, Asia and Middle East). Over 95% of patients were either asymptomatic or presented mild symptoms, 9 died (CFR 0.38%). Fifty-two patients were hospitalised and 7 needed a medical evacuation outside the country of assignment. A minority (14.76%) of patients had at least one risk factor for severe disease; the most recorded one was high blood pressure (4.6%). Over 55% of cases occurred during the predominance of Delta Variant of Concern. All pre-existing risk factors were significantly associated with a moderate or higher severity of the disease (except pregnancy and immunosuppression).ConclusionsWe found strong epidemiological evidence of associations between comorbidities, old age, and the severity of COVID-19. Increased occupational risks of moderate to severe forms of COVID-19 do not only depend on workplace safety but also on social contacts and context.

Methods for the Future, Futures for Methods: Collaborating with Syrian Refugee Youth in Jordan

Abstract What happens with data when the research process radically involves and engages those who are in the target group? How can we move towards collaborative insights by integrating our participants in the design of research, conduct of work, and, ultimately, its writing and dissemination? And how does this enable us to devise better futures when imagining such futures may be the very problem? Based on experimental research methods with Syrian refugee youth in Jordan, this article discusses how novel ways of engaging target groups in research can help push analyses in new directions. Collaborative methods, we argue, allow for 3 general analytical displacements that may help us work through the protracted nature of much humanitarian intervention and aid work: namely, moves from worldmaking to waymaking, from urgency to discernment, and from the biological to the biographical.

Matters of care or matters of security: feminist reflections on prosecuting terrorism financing

ABSTRACT International treaties and European directives have put new legal responsibilities on EU member states to pre-emptively monitor and prosecute terrorist activities and offences. In particular, the prosecution of terrorism financing has been an important focus to prevent material and ideological support for terrorist organisations. Yet, a clear distinction between humanitarian aid and terrorism financing in a complex war zone is not always easy to draw: Which of the involved parties is perceived as a terrorist threat, and what is exactly considered humanitarian aid work? In this paper, we empirically unpack how EU counter-terrorism laws and policies are actually practiced during court trials. We investigate the legal distinction between humanitarian aid and terrorism financing in Syria, specifically centring on trials from the Netherlands and Germany. Drawing on the growing debates in critical security and legal studies on materiality, we focus on how materials presented during trials such as baby products, weapons, and money, are inscribed with a particular security logic to reach a legal verdict. Introducing the concept of “matters of care/security”, we connect these debates and findings to insights from feminist and post-colonial studies to critically inquire how racialised and gendered assumptions on terrorist threat impact terrorism trials.

“It’s Just How Things Are Done”: Social Ecologies of Sexual Violence in Humanitarian Aid

Abstract Increasing research on the humanitarian sector examines how its organizational cultures affect both aid outcomes and humanitarian workers’ private lives. The #MeToo movement and several public scandals have brought to light patterns of sexual violence in crisis zones perpetrated by humanitarian aid workers; surveys suggest rates of sexual assault within the humanitarian community comparable to, if not higher than, those on US college campuses. How do the conditions that produce sexual violence persist in a sector governed by strong, mission-centric principles, professional codes of conduct, and oversight? This article uses participant observation in Iraq and Uganda, in-depth interviews, and textural analysis to examine the social origins of sexual violence in humanitarian communities. It builds on studies of aid organizations to argue that the humanitarian sector operates similarly to a “total institution” (Goffman 1961). Then, it draws upon recent work on sexual violence to demonstrate how within-sector social ecologies and informal socialization practices create the conditions of possibility for sexual violence. It identifies two key factors that constitute the emergency aid world—sexual scripts and projects, and sector-specific sexual geographies—and argues that they produce conditions that facilitate sexual violence while labeling them “just how things are done.”

The surge of spreading harmful information through digital technologies: a distressing reality in complex humanitarian emergencies

The surge of spreading harmful information through digital technologies: a distressing reality in complex humanitarian emergencies

The composition of UN peacekeeping operations and aid worker security

Do United Nations peacekeeping operations improve the security of humanitarian aid workers during conflict? Answering this question is important given the critical assistance that humanitarian personnel provide in conflict zones, the increased integration of humanitarian activities in UN operations in recent decades and the growing incidence of attacks against aid workers worldwide. Researchers have found that the presence of peacekeepers does not positively affect aid worker security and may even make humanitarian personnel more vulnerable to violent attacks. However, previous studies have not examined whether the effect of peacekeeping operations on aid worker security is influenced by the personnel composition of UN missions. I hypothesize that operations with more troops are likely to reduce attacks against aid workers, while similar security gains are unlikely to be realized with larger numbers of police or observers. This is due to troops’ specific capabilities, which increase their ability to mitigate high-intensity conflict environments and protect humanitarian personnel traveling on roads. Statistical analyses of monthly data between 2000 and 2015 indicate that greater numbers of UN troops, but not police and observers, are correlated with fewer attacks against aid workers. The implications of these findings are discussed, with an eye toward addressing challenges facing the UN’s force-generation process.

Threat Awareness Training for Non-Governmental Organizations Deploying Humanitarian Aid Workers into Conflict Environments

Introduction:The current war in Ukraine and the subsequent deployment of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from around the world has highlighted the many potential dangers faced by humanitarian aid workers operating in conflict zones. Humanitarian aid workers may face both direct and indirect threats and aggression whilst on deployment, and given the rising number of global conflicts, the authors postulate a need to incorporate threat awareness training as part of pre-deployment training.Method:A list of the top 22 rated NGOs providing international aid was obtained from CharityWatch. All 22 were contacted via their public email addresses or website contact pages to find out if they provide any form of security, tactical, or threat awareness training.Results:Seven of the 13 NGOs that responded did not deploy staff into recent conflict zones or surroundings. All six NGOs who deployed staff into Ukraine or surrounding border countries, provided either security, tactical, or threat awareness training to their staff.Conclusion:With the rising number of conflicts and disasters around the world, humanitarian aid workers are increasingly exposed to hostile environments and there is a compelling need for NGOs to ensure staff are adequately trained and prepared to handle any dangers and threats they may face.