Humanitarian Community Research Articles

The Black Hole of Humanitarian Innovation

Humanitarian innovation has rapidly emerged to become central to discussions about the future of humanitarianism. Innovation practices are framed as a means by which the humanitarian community can identify the paradigm shift that it needs to survive in a rapidly changing world. However, this framing is based on a misunderstanding of economic theories of innovation and particularly of the nature of humanitarian economics. The lack of both a true market and a profit mechanism in the humanitarian industry means that innovations can be generated but will never be sustained. Unless this obstacle is addressed – perhaps through emerging networked approaches to economic activity – humanitarian innovation will continue to be a dead end.

Informal healthcare provision in Lebanon: an adaptive mechanism among displaced Syrian health professionals in a protracted crisis

BackgroundSyrian healthcare workers (HCWs) are among those who fled the Syrian conflict only to face further social and economic challenges in host countries. In Lebanon, this population group cannot formally practice, yet many are believed to be operating informally. These activities remain poorly documented and misunderstood by the academic, policy and humanitarian communities. This study aims to understand mechanisms of informal provision of services, the facilitators and barriers for such practices and to present policy recommendations for building on this adaptive mechanism.MethodA qualitative descriptive study based on an in-depth interview approach with a sample of Syrian informal healthcare workers (IHCWs) residing in Lebanon was adopted. Known sponsor networks followed by snowball sampling approaches were used to recruit participants. Data collection occurred between September and December 2017. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and translated into English. An inductive thematic analysis was used.ResultsTwenty-two participants were recruited. Motivational factors that led HCWs to practice informally were personal (e.g. source of income/livelihood), societal (cultural competency), and need to fulfill a gap in the formal health service sector. Being connected to a network of IHCWs facilitated initiation of the informal practice until eventually becoming part of a community of informal practice. The central challenge was the informal nature of their practice and its negative consequences. Most IHCWs were afraid of arrest by the government upon identification. Most interviewees indicated being discriminated against by host communities in the form of differential wages and tense interpersonal relationships. Almost all recommended a change in policy allowing them to practice formally under a temporary registration until their return to Syria.ConclusionOur study confirmed the presence of IHCWs operating in Lebanon. Despite its informal nature, participants perceived that this practice was filling a gap in the formal health system and was helping to alleviate the burden of IHCWs and refugee health needs. In line with interviewees’ views, we recommend that policy decision makers within humanitarian agencies and the Government of Lebanon explore the possibilities for allowing temporary registration of displaced Syrian IHCW to benefit local host communities and refugee populations.

Effectiveness of humanitarian logistics training

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of humanitarian logistics training for the Finnish Red Cross (FRC) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) delegates, and the factors that influence its success. The managerial purpose of this research is to support the FRC in improving their Logistics ERU Foundation training. Additionally, this research provides humanitarian organisations, engaged in emergency response efforts, insights for logistics training design.Design/methodology/approachThis is a case study examining the FRC, with qualitative data being collected in a field study, utilising participant observation and in-context interview techniques for rich data collection.FindingsThis research evaluated the effectiveness of the Logistics ERU Foundation training of the FRC by adapting the four-level training evaluation model by Kirkpatrick and transfer of training theories. The research has contributed to Gralla et al.’s (2015) call for further research in evaluating what people learn from humanitarian logistics trainings and in documenting and sharing experiences with specific training programs.Practical implicationsThe conceptual framework serves as a basis for exploratory qualitative investigation of training transfer, from the perspectives of trainees, facilitators and human resource personnel.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the humanitarian community by identifying gaps in Red Cross Logistics ERU training and to the development of curricula content relating to Red Cross logistics response phase operations. Additionally, this gives other humanitarian organisations, operating in the response phase of natural disasters, insights for logistics training design.

Islamic Rules and Strategies to Bring Peace in Community

Islam aims to achieve peace and security in the humanitarian community and prevents it from all the fearful causes that surround the Muslim community and non-Muslim on the face of the earth. This case study attempts to highlight the most important Islamic rules and strategies for peacebuilding in the community by discussing the rules of peace in Islam and the strategies for peace in the community. The findings of the study reveal that true faith instils in the soul of human goodness and fairness, which prevents him from evil. This faith deprives him of injustice and corruption in the earth. The disbelief in God and turning away from his remembrance is the source of fear and misery, worries and problems, distress in the livelihood, deprivation of moral and material security. To achieve the peace in the community, six key strategies are necessary including holding the Book (Quran) and Sunnah (Consistent way of the Prophet), fighting the ingratitude towards the bounties, understanding the Islam towards the phenomenon of hypocrisy and hypocrites, managing pluralism in Islam, understanding the strategic distribution of wealth among the people, and finally administrating of justice and the prohibition of injustice.

Cholera prevention and control in refugee settings: Successes and continued challenges.

Cholera has long been viewed as a serious threat for refugee populations [1, 2]. In the 1980s and 90s, refugee camps proliferated in Africa and Asia as a result of large civil wars and environmental disasters. These camps experienced large-scale cholera outbreaks with regularity because of overcrowding, scarce clean water, and poor sanitation and hygiene practices [2–4]. Death rates were often high because of preexisting malnutrition, comorbidities, and limited access to medical care. With appropriate clinical management, cholera mortality can be well below 1%, but it can be as high as 50%–60% without proper care [3, 5–7]. During this time, humanitarian organizations developed a variety of guidelines and standards to reduce morbidity and mortality during cholera outbreaks in these populations [8, 9]. Mobilization around these issues was greatly accelerated in 1994, when a particularly massive outbreak occurred among Rwandan refugees in the Lake Kivu region of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), and approximately 42,000 people died [10]. In response to this unprecedented tragedy, the humanitarian community developed and adopted the Sphere standards for the minimum acceptable living conditions and availability of health services in refugee camps and other humanitarian responses [11]. Since this time, the Sphere standards have been updated, and additional coordinating systems have been developed, including the cluster approach to humanitarian response, the Transformative Agenda, and the adaptation of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) refugee coordination in the context of the Transformative Agenda [12–14]. With the recent goal to reduce cholera deaths 90% by 2030 set by the Global Task Force on Cholera Control, there is a renewed urgency to examine successes and address remaining gaps in cholera control [15]. Although refugee camps continue to experience many vulnerabilities, the increased focus on improved camp coordination, preparedness, timely multisectoral response, and adherence to minimum standards has resulted in a notable decrease in the number and size of camp-based cholera outbreaks and associated mortality.

An Overview on Acute Malnutrition and Food Insecurity among Children during the Conflict in Yemen.

Background: This study aims to describe malnutrition among children under five and to describe the food insecurity status during the current conflict in Yemen. Methods: Data were obtained from a Yemeni nutrition surveillance program (pilot phase) targeting 4142 households with 5276 children under five from two governorates (Ibb and Sana’a). Results: Global acute malnutrition was found in 13.3% of overall screened children, while 4.9% had severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 8.4% had moderate acute malnutrition. One-fifth of the children under six months of age were acutely malnourished, followed by children under two years at 18.5% based on weight-for-height z scores. Significant associations between malnutrition and other diseases included suspected measles at three times higher rates (4.5%, p < 0.00) among SAM cases than other children. Diarrhea, fever, and cough were significantly higher among the SAM group (p < 0.05). Most households depended on market food purchases in the month preceding this survey (84.7%). Household coping mechanisms to secure daily meals included borrowing food to survive, changing types and quality of food, and decreasing the number of meals per day; some families sent their children to live with relatives. Conclusion: Malnutrition is a serious public health problem. The humanitarian community needs to adopt alternative strategies to improve food security and the nutrition status in Yemen.

Geospatial Preparedness: Empirical Study of Alternative Sources of Information for the Humanitarian Community

Abstract In response to a disaster, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs creates a framework for cooperation in which Information Management Officers from different organisations can work together to provide decision makers with necessary information. Geospatial data are among the first information delivered. Recently, online mapping, remote sensing and the support of volunteers and technical communities wrought dramatic changes in the use of geospatial information, bringing new challenges to the digital humanitarian community. Information Management Officers are tapping alternative data sources, and institutions are adapting their working procedures to this new reality. The perspectives of these Information Management Officers have been studied through semi-structured interviews and monitoring of the tools used during responses to real emergencies. This study determines the required data and the relation with geospatial preparedness. It also explores the potential and limitations of development organisations, community mapping and social networks as alternative sources of information.

Localisation and cross-border assistance to deliver humanitarian health services in North-West Syria: a qualitative inquiry for The Lancet-AUB Commission on Syria

BackgroundIn a growing number of humanitarian crises, “remote management” is negotiated across borders and implemented by humanitarian agencies through “local actors” to deliver assistance. However, the narrative describing the involvement of local actors in the delivery of humanitarian aid in armed conflict settings remains reductionist and unreflective of the complex and circular course of the “localisation of aid”. This paper explores cross-border humanitarian assistance within the Syrian conflict. We document how humanitarian actors operate to deliver humanitarian health care in North-West Syria (Turkish border), explore their challenges and critique the language used within current debates on the localisation of aid.MethodsWe undertook key informant interviews with Turkey-based humanitarian aid professionals involved in the humanitarian health response inside Syria. We integrated data previously collected for The Lancet-American University of Beirut Commission on Syria during field work in Gaziantep, Turkey, through meetings, conversations, discussions and expert consultations with Syrian health professionals, WHO-Turkey staff members and members of Syrian health directorates. We also drew from background desk reviews conducted by the Commission on health systems responses and timeline of events in Turkey during the Syrian conflict.ResultsThis paper uncovers creative and effective bottom-up strategies that enhanced cross-border coordination of aid delivery into Syria. Our findings unravel the key role played by Syrian providers in accessing vulnerable populations and in reshaping coordination and funding mechanisms inside Syria, as well as the disproportionate risks local actors bear within the response. Our findings also reveal an iterative negotiation of decision-making dynamics, a “low-profile approach” promoted to gain access to populations of concerns, and an environment that is heavily shaped by close interpersonal relationships and social trust.ConclusionsOur multifaceted narrative unpacks circular flows of interactions among actors and uncovers strategies developed by practitioners on the field, which are often left undocumented. We argue that there is an opportunity for the humanitarian sector to learn from these synergies to rethink how medical humanitarianism is framed (hopefully leading to a more collaborative framing that resists mainstreaming “local” actors within a “traditional” system). There is also an opportunity for the humanitarian and global health communities to reflect on how value attributed to human lives needs to be questioned in contexts where national staff face a disproportionate risk to deliver aid.

Social and feminist design in emergency contexts: the Women’s Social Architecture Project, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

ABSTRACTThe rapid influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, has led to the formation of huge camps, built on difficult terrain, short of space and with high population density. All these factors present numerous challenges to agencies seeking to provide latrines, water points, and bathing facilities. Feedback gathered from women and girls highlighted significant challenges around access, safety, privacy, and dignity, including management of personal hygiene and menstruation. Within the humanitarian community, site planning and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) infrastructure planning/design processes have mainly been dominated by male architects and engineers, often with gendered assumptions about the user. Acknowledging these challenges, Oxfam implemented the Women’s Social Architecture Project to work with women and adolescent girls, and female architects with a background or interest in social or feminist design and architecture, to add a different perspective into the design and siting of WASH facilities. The project has consisted of formative research with Rohingya women and girls, and design workshops with architects in which Rohingya women have co-created designs that tackle the issues they face regarding WASH facilities. This article provides an account of the progress to date, together with feedback from women and girls and the WASH Sector in Cox's Bazar ahead of the final completion of the project in June 2019.

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of interventions within a humanitarian organisation.

Cost‐effectiveness analysis is increasingly relevant in humanitarian action. The cost of response has increased exponentially in the past decade, alongside concurrent donor budget restrictions. However, there remains limited comprehension and application of these methods in this field. This paper documents methods developed for use within Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organisation, in response to a lack of understanding of this topic within the humanitarian community and limited evidence of the cost‐effectiveness of humanitarian action. These methods encompass costs to both implementing institutions and participating communities. Activity‐based cost analyses are conducted to assess resources per programme activity. Cost‐effectiveness is evaluated using successful programme outcomes, and uncertainty is appraised via sensitivity analysis. This paper aims to advance knowledge, stimulate discussion, and promote the adoption of cost‐effectiveness methods for building the evidence base for humanitarian action, including consideration of community costs, to enable analytical outputs that are useful for managers and policymakers alike.

On the role of regional hubs in the environmental sustainability of humanitarian supply chains

AbstractIn spite of strong commitment of humanitarian and development communities with the protection of our planet, expressed through the Sustainable Development Goals in the Agenda 2030, environmental sustainability still remains an overlooked aspect in humanitarian supply chains (HSCs). Using a collaborative mixed‐methods research with an international humanitarian organization, this paper sheds light on the causes of unsustainable operations in HSCs and investigates the impact of regional hubs on the environmental sustainability. First, an in‐depth focus group was conducted involving the organization's employees and the research team to identify the main causes contributing to unsustainable HSC in the organization. Five categories of causes were identified, namely, supply chain configuration (SCC), transportation, donors, material and waste, and humanitarian specificities. Then, based on respondents' prioritization, SCC was selected as the most important category. Carbon footprinting for three SCC scenarios was conducted: the current SCC and two conceptual SCC with two hubs in East and West Africa with different replenishment windows. The results reveal that the SCCs with hubs outperform the current SCC in terms of carbon footprint. Finally, the challenges of implementing the conceptual SCCs and possible solutions to address them were discussed through follow‐up individual interviews.

A branch university journal as an information resource: the bibliometric analysis experience

One of the most widespread publications of a university is «Vestnik» (Bulletin), which reflects not only scientific and professional interests of the university in a certain subject field, but scientific and professional interests of the scientific community within its territory and abroad. The journal testifies to the branch science development in general, contributes to formation of socio-economic and scientific environment of a certain region, and the country as a whole. The article deals with the journal «Bulletin of Kemerovo State University of Culture and Arts» («Vestnik of KemGUKI») as an information resource of the branch university. The author studies main charac­teristics of the publication in the Russian Science Citation Index; concludes that the journal quality indicators (its index and place the Science Index rating, two-year and five-year impact factor) are con­stantly growing, that indicates promoting the publication in the professional community information environment. The paper highlights the bibliometric analysis results for 5 years (2013–2017) investigating publications (segments of document flow, micro-flows) grouped by features of content, species and author's structure. The journal reflects a wide range of humanitarian knowledge. The authors of «Vestnik KemGUKI» are highly qualified teachers, their scientific and educational activities develop the branch science and pro­fessional education and form the University positive image. «Vestnik» is a platform to present and test dissertators’ re-searches. The document flow analysis on the authors’ affiliations allowed identifying teams that work in line with the interests of KemGUCA. Among them are not only universities of culture and other humanitarian educational institutions, but organizations not related to educational activities. Studying the authors’ regional affiliation, the paper reflects the geographical landscape wideness. The authors are not only from Kemerovo, as well as from a large number of regional centers, cities and republics. Thanks to scientists and teachers of the neighboring countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) the range of authors is constantly expanding. The study reveals coincidence of scholar interests with the scientific educational community of foreign countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, China, India). It shows that «Vestnik» is recognized in the professional environment of the humanitarian community as a resource promoting education, science and culture in Kuzbass, Siberia, Russia, and the near and far abroad.

Hosting as shelter during displacement: considerations for research and practice

Hosting or local families taking in displaced families is an important way to shelter persons displaced during war or by natural disaster. While field-level evidence of hosting is on the rise, academic and policy-related scholarship on hosting is scant. Based on an extensive literature review and supplemented by the author’s own work experience in the humanitarian sector, this paper identifies and summarizes ten aspects that shape the hosting environment and its associated support programs. These aspects provide insight to humanitarian actors that support hosting situations rather than allowing them to play out on their own. These aspects potentially serve (1) as programmatic criteria that humanitarian actors and aid agencies should consider when designing and supporting hosting programs and (2) are substantively rich areas that would expand the research agenda on displacement and humanitarian response and assistance. This paper has implications for both humanitarian practice and research, including how members of the humanitarian community conceptual hosting as a social relationship.

Resilience in Displacement and the Protection of Civilians in South Sudan

Abstract The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was established in 2011. As violence erupted in 2013, the peacekeeping mission allowed tens of thousands of civilians into its bases, leading to the establishment of Protection of Civilians (POC) sites that today shelter more than 200,000 people. The argument of this article is that the creation of the POC sites became constitutive of a broader set of controversies surrounding the building or otherwise of resilience among displaced civilians. The UNMISS is pushing to offer as few services as possible and is focusing on the delivery of traditional humanitarian assistance to encourage return. Conversely, the humanitarian community is pushing for the expansion of services beyond life-saving short-term interventions and towards building the capacity of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) to resist adverse shocks in the future. This article concludes that contestations over the politics of resilience have become a driver of tension and friction between the peacekeeping mission and the humanitarians.

Field-level coordination of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar

The areas around Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh are the location of some of the world’s largest and most congested refugee settlements. The refugees have myriads of needs, and hundreds of different organisations provide assistance in an enormously complex and at times chaotic humanitarian operation. The humanitarian community in Bangladesh has identified the provision of effective mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services as a priority. However, the multi-sectoral nature of MHPSS can create challenges especially when it comes to coordination of services. A central coordination mechanism, the MHPSS working group, was established in December 2017. It is a sub-working group of the health sector and it has close ties with other sectors, mainly protection. This central MHPSS working group is attended mostly by mid-level and senior staff involved in policy and programming. We found that adding ‘field-level coordination’ with actors who work in the same geographical area helped to strengthen communication, cooperation and local coordination. It assists field-based staff to stay informed of each other’s work and can promote collaboration. For example, in the elaboration of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to mitigate the effect of monsoon-related events in Cox’s Bazar, the field-level coordination mechanism proved very useful. Moreover, an area-based coordination mechanism can be a suitable platform to engage the affected communities in MHPSS coordination. This field report highlights the rationale, challenges and lessons learned from field-level coordination experience and argues that in large humanitarian settings establishing such area-based coordination mechanisms can have a clear added value and should be routinely considered.

Is Ubiquitous Technology for Needs Data Management a Game Changer in Humanitarian Arena?

One in every 70 people around the world is caught up in a crisis (natural disasters, conflict, climate change, etc.) and urgently needs humanitarian assistance and protection according to the OCHA. The humanitarian community assists millions of people every year based on emerging humanitarian needs. Most of the time, the conditions inside the countries, once the humanitarian needs data is collected, are not very conducive and required simple ways to collect data like paper-based data collection with simple questions. This data is later entered into a database or spreadsheet using rigorous and time-consuming data entry efforts. Dynamic changes in needs of people; numbers of partners involved; the complexity of evolving processes; and emerging technologies over time has led to a change in processes for data collection and management. This article is an attempt to capture humanitarian data collection best practices and the use of different technologies in managing data to facilitate humanitarian needs assessment processes for the Syria crisis.

How to improve organisational staff support? Suggestions from humanitarian workers in South Sudan

Humanitarian workers experience high symptom burdens of common mental health problems. This requires action from the organisations they are employed with. However, many studies have documented continuing weaknesses in organisational staff support, as well as disparities in access to the services for national and international staff. Systematic data capturing suggestions from humanitarian workers on how to tackle this situation within a specific crisis setting is rarely available. This study addresses this gap through qualitative content analysis of the suggestions from the 210 humanitarian workers based in South Sudan collected through an online survey in 2017. Five major themes emerged regarding proposed improvements: ‘Competitive benefit and salary packages’; ‘internal work climate and organisational culture’; ‘equality within and between organisations’; ‘skill enhancement and personal development’ and ‘physical safety and security’. For both national and international staff, improved access to psychosocial support services was the most frequent proposal. Apart from this suggestion, their top priorities for improvement of staff support differed greatly. National staff emphasised improvements related to training and greater equality between employees. International staff emphasised improvements related to time off and team cohesion. Findings provide a clear case for organisations to assess their services and offer a potential framework to inform future interventions that better address the priorities of the humanitarian community as a whole. Key implications for practice Organisations need to ensure staff have adequate access to psychosocial support services National and international staff have different priorities regarding staff support and organisations need to reflect these in their provision of services A unified understanding of staff support is required to manage expectations of staff and hold organisations accountable.

Ebola: Es ist nicht nur die Krankheit – Herausforderungen beim Anpassen der humanitären Hilfe an ihren Kontext

The 2013 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has highlighted the importance of adapting humanitarian responses to new socio-cultural contexts. The international humanitarian community was not only confronted with poor health infrastructure but also the challenge of local socio-cultural practices, which aggravated the spread of the Ebola virus. This paper discusses the Ebola crisis in Liberia from a socio-cultural perspective and highlights how the lack of information, neglect and criminalising of traditional practices, the history of civil war and the absence of trust in government limit the success of humanitarian assistance. This article provides an analysis of allows for an analysis of humanitarian assistance within the context of the increasing complexity of disasters and changing contexts.

Direct tangible damage assessment for regional snowmelt flood disasters with HJ-1 and HR satellite images: a case study of the Altay region, northern Xinjiang, China

Regional snowmelt flood disasters (RSFDs) can cause significant direct tangible damage which generally refers to the physical destruction due to direct contact with the flood water, such as damage to buildings, croplands, livestock, and infrastructure. Information about people, habitations, and infrastructure affected by the flood is essential for disaster responders and the humanitarian community to plan and coordinate emergency response activities. However, this direct tangible damage information obtained in the ground is limited, incomplete, contradictory, and sometimes impossible to obtain in a short time. Earth observation satellites help overcome operational uncertainties after the RSFDs. Here, we present an improved rapid direct tangible damage assessment model using HJ-1 and GF-1/2 satellite images. We selected the Altay region in northern Xinjiang, China, as the study area, and investigated a RSFD occurring in spring 2017. A series of HJ-1 and GF-1 images were used to track the flood extent over the duration of the disaster, and the maximum affected flood area was assigned as the area in which direct tangible damage occurred. Pre-disaster GF-2 images were then used to estimate direct tangible damage to habitations (2375 households and 6388 rooms), infrastructure (102 km of roads), and affected population (7125) in the flood area, which covered an area of 185,240 m2. Our method is an effective approach for the design of rescue plans and disaster subsidy programs.

Implications of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Guinea: Qualitative findings to inform future health and nutrition-related responses.

IntroductionDue to the close relationship between EVD and nutrition, the humanitarian community implemented various nutrition-specific and -sensitive interventions to stem the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa. Little, however, is known about stakeholder and community members’ perspectives toward this response in Guinea. Therefore, we aimed to firstly understand how EVD may have influenced the nutrition situation; and secondly to assess the perceived acceptability and effectiveness of the nutrition response.Materials and methodsUsing 27 in-depth interviews conducted in April–May 2016, this descriptive, qualitative study had three iterative phases in an emergent design. Phase 1 explored the perceptions of 11 high-level policy and management staff. Phase 2 assessed the views of 16 community members, survivors, and front-line workers. Phase 3 compared the qualitative findings to relevant nutrition indicators from secondary data for final interpretations. A systematic, team-based coding approach using Dedoose software identified key themes during textual analysis.ResultsOverall, several plausible pathways through an interrelated network of bio-social factors help describe EVD impacts on the nutrition situation of Guinea. At a basic level, complex social dimensions of health, response unpreparedness, and market disruptions were perceived to be major determinants affecting the nutrition situation, especially among IYC. At an underlying level, household food security was negatively impacted, along with weakened care-seeking practices, IYC feeding practices, and coping strategies. Consequently, treatment coverage for childhood illnesses and IYC diets were negatively impacted during the outbreak. In hindsight, most participants had positive perceptions toward the overall EVD response, but described salient considerations for improving upon this nutrition response during future outbreaks.DiscussionThis study highlighted the complex web of inter-related factors through which EVD was perceived to impact the nutrition situation in Guinea. Considering the multi-level social and behavioral dimensions of health and nutrition is critical for effectively responding to infectious disease outbreaks.