Humanitarian Non-governmental Organizations Research Articles

Zwischen Hilfe und Menschenrechten: Wie humanitäre internationale NROs der Krise des europäischen Flüchtlingsschutzes begegnen

AbstractThe ongoing crisis of refugee protection in Europe exemplifies a tension between providing humanitarian aid and fighting for human rights. Some recent studies have been highly critical of humanitarian action in this context, suggesting that giving aid to refugees in Europe is a substitute for and suppression of human rights work (Dittmer and Lorenz 2021a; Cuttitta 2018; Ticktin 2016). However, humanitarian aid comprises both, humanitarianism and human rights. This study investigates how humanitarian international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) have striven to protect refugees from North Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine from 2015 to 2023. During this time, many have established new programs in Europe. A content analysis of documents by four humanitarian INGOs shows how they work to integrate both, aid and rights, in their refugee work. This creates certain tensions. For example, the analysis suggests that localisation is one way to integrate human rights into humanitarian action, however at the risk of compromising humanitarian principles.

The Fight for Global Health Justice: The Advocacy of International Humanitarian and Development NGOs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

AbstractThe increasing health inequity and injustice of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered visible the inadequacy of global health governance, and exposed the self-interested decision-making of states and pharmaceutical companies. This research explores the advocacy activities of humanitarian and development international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) in responding to this inequality and investigates how they framed alternatives for global health justice. It reviews 47 organizational documents and 43 media articles of five INGOs (ActionAid, Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, Save the Children, and World Vision) and points to the importance of understanding advocacy frames in analyzing how these organizations prioritize agendas and advocacy strategies. The dominance of the ‘human rights’ frame, sometimes in combination with ‘scientific evidence’ and ‘security’ frames, reflects the identities, mandates, and histories of campaigning and collaboration of these INGOs. This paper contends that the advocacy of humanitarian and development INGOs highlights both deontological and teleological ethics, promoting the voices of people in lower-income countries, clarifying duty bearers and their accountabilities, and addressing structural barriers from a human rights perspective in a global health agenda setting.

Understanding Islamic-oriented non-governmental organisation and how they are contrasted with NGO in outdoing Malaysia LGBT phenomenon

The term non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has been well-known for the development of human rights, charity works and organisational developments. On the other hand, some NGOs also have their specialised roles to help the community such as in conflict resolution, cultural preservation, policy analysis and information provision. Apart from that, there are many categories of NGOs: Islamic-oriented non-governmental organisation (IONGOs), faith-based organisation (FBO), humanitarian NGOs (HNGOs) and government organised NGOs (GONGOs). However, in this research, the researchers focus on how IONGOs compare with NGOs in assisting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community based on four hijrah NGOs: Persatuan Islah Movement, Persatuan Insaf Pahang, Hijrah Republique Network and Usrah Iqrak. These four NGOs were chosen because of their roles in assisting the LGBT community. In this research, the researchers adapt the qualitative research by using a case study method; phenomenological approaches and a document analysis have also been applied as well. The result shows that these four IONGOs are different from the NGOs based on the seven typologies applied: intersection, distinct, substantive, subset, co-existing, atomistic grouping and constitutive. The implications of this article highlight the fact that IONGOs are different from the LGBT NGOs in Malaysia as they focus more on spirituality and an Islamic pathway. Hence, future research should include focus group interviews with all the members in NGOs that assist the LGBT hijrah in the community.Contribution: This study contributes to LGBT hijrah community and its relationship towards the establishment of Islamic-oriented non-governmental organisation (IONGOs).

Development through Borders: Photogrammetry of a Moving Experience.

Recognizing the variety of borders that gather and divide our world, such as geographical, temporal, social and psychological, the study highlights that the transit across these borders drives changes and continuities that contribute to human development. The research emphasizes the relevance of reviewing both the individual singularities and the shared aspects of border crossing experiences. The matching of these approaches allows building theoretical models referring to those experiences. Thus, this article aims to review borders crossing as a developmental and abductively generalizable process. Through the analogy between Abductive Generalization and photogrammetry, the study proposes an innovative way of representing these complex experiences. Three ways of border crossing - spatial displacement, imagination and social interactions - are explored in terms of their developmental potential. Using a case study of psychologists in a humanitarian non-governmental organization - NGO, an abductively generalized model is presented highlighting the spatial, cultural and psychological dimensions involved. In addition, the study proposes a three-dimensional helical model of development inspired by photogrammetry, incorporating principles of this technique to improve the understanding on the border crossing process. By recognizing mesogenetic influences, such as institutional and cultural dimensions, the article puts forward an interdisciplinary approach to understand development through border crossing. The models presented may potentially drive future research and interventions in Semiotic Cultural Psychology, enriching the promotion of human development in different border contexts. The study fosters the extension of this work by including several perspectives, methods and paradigms.

‘I lost over 700 tubers of yam but am glad I am still alive’: Implications of victimhood and displacement on conflict management – Insights from displaced farmers in North Central Nigeria

This study investigates the victimisation and challenges faced by the displaced agricultural community in North-Central Nigeria. The study argues that the significant loss and suffering experienced within this victimisation context contribute to the emergence of post-displacement stressors and act as catalysts for further acts of violence. A sample of 42 participant was selected using a combination of convenience sampling, snowball sampling, and purposeful sampling techniques. The participant were chosen from Daudu camps 1 and 2 (Mbawa), the Gbajimba internally displaced person (IDP) camp (Nzorov), and the Naka IDP camp (Ikyaghev). Data collection involved 8 focus group discussions with victims and 42 in-depth interviews with primary, secondary, and reintegrated victims, as well as representatives of herders. In addition, 14 key informant interviews were conducted with personnel from active non-governmental organisations (NGOs), IDP camp officials, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) officials, police and army personnel, the head of a local vigilante group, and traditional district heads. Qualitative data analysis was performed thematically using NVIVO 12 Plus, a qualitative data analysis software. The findings highlight that food insecurity emerges as the primary challenge faced by the displaced population. Other challenges include poor living conditions, inadequate healthcare, a lack of employment opportunities, a high number of out-of-school children, emotional difficulties, and water and sanitation problems. Returnees face challenges in reconstructing damaged properties, establishing water sources, and ensuring adequate security. Most participant rely on support from SEMA, humanitarian NGOs, and donations from private individuals and groups. Based on the research results, the study proposes relevant policies for the government and other agencies involved in assisting displaced populations. It emphasises the need for the government to engage with individuals and groups to provide long-term assistance for victims’ rehabilitation, reintegration, and recovery.

Can a volunteer-based befriending service reduce loneliness and social isolation and improve mental health in older people? A quasi-experimental effectiveness study of existing non-governmental befriending services in Denmark

Abstract Befriending services are a widespread intervention that is mainly implemented in community and residential settings to counter social disconnectedness in older adults. The services involves a structured relationship (e.g. weekly visits and agreed upon in-house or out-of-house activities) between a befriender, who is most often a volunteer, and a befriendee, who lack social connections or experience loneliness. Social and humanitarian non-governmental organisations are the primary provider of these services, playing a vital role in supporting and connecting older adults worldwide. Previous research on befriending services has been limited by non-controlled study designs, small sample sizes, high attrition rates, and poor measurement. Additionally, befriendees often face vulnerabilities related to their physical and mental health, which pose significant barriers for research in this field. These limitations highlight that befriending services remain poorly understood, particularly regarding their effectiveness in improving social connections and reducing loneliness. This presentation provides a brief overview of current knowledge on befriending services for older adults, leading to the introduction of an ongoing nationwide effectiveness study of the befriending services provided by two Danish social and humanitarian non-governmental organisations. The quasi-experimental, pragmatic study design will be thoroughly introduced, discussing opportunities and challenges when evaluating large-scale volunteer-driven interventions in a real-world setting. This will involve reflecting on critical methodological decisions, such as the study design, selection of outcome measures, and implementation of procedural steps to minimize attrition.

Social media information governance in multi-level organizations: How humanitarian organizations accrue social capital

Strategic social media use positively influences organizational goals such as the long-term accrual of social capital, and thus social media information governance has become an increasingly important organizational objective. It is particularly important for humanitarian nongovernmental organizations (HNGOs), whose work relies on accurate and timely information regarding socially altruistic behavior (donations, volunteerism, etc.). Despite the potential of social media for increasing social capital, tensions in governing social media information across an organization's different operational levels (regional, intermediate, and national) pose a difficult challenge. Prominent governance frameworks offer little guidance, as their focus on control and incremental policymaking is largely incompatible with the processes, roles, standards, and metrics needed for managing self-governing social media. This study offers a notion of dynamic and co-evolutionary process management of multi-level organizations as a means of conceptualizing social media information governance for the accrual of organizational social capital. Based on interviews with members of HNGOs, this study reveals tensions that emerge within eight focus areas of accruing social capital in multi-level organizations, explains how dynamic process management can ease those tensions, and proposes corresponding strategy recommendations.

Effect of Financial Planning on Resource Mobilization of Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County

NGOs in Kenya play major roles in a number of developmental areas; socially, politically, economically and culturally. However, the NGOs in Kenya have been characterized with poor relations towards the citizens, which has been brought about by problems in political, historical and cultural aspects. This study sought to determine the effect of financial planning on resource mobilization of humanitarian non-governmental organizations in Nairobi County. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the current study was 64 humanitarian NGOs that are based in Nairobi County. While the unit of analysis was the 64 humanitarian NGOs, the unit of observation were two respondents from finance and project management departments of these organizations. The study adopted a census sampling technique where the entire sample size of 128 was used. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A regression model was used to test the effect of financial planning on the resource mobilization of Humanitarian NGOs in Nairobi County. The results indicated that financial planning has a negative and insignificant effect on resource mobilization of Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County (B = -0.068; t = -0.890 < 1.96, = p-value = 0.375 > 0.05). These results imply that efficient financial planning practices do not improve resource mobilization of Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County. The null hypothesis developed on the non-significance of financial planning on resource mobilization of Humanitarian Non- Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County was not rejected.  The study findings led to a conclusion that the null hypothesis on the insignificance of the influence of financial planning on the resource mobilization of Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County was not rejected. The study found that the current financial planning measures adopted by Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations do not improve their financial accountability. Thus, the study recommends that there is need for these organization to pay keen attention to their financial planning around budgeting, financial practices, and financial forecasting, in order to improve their financial accountability. Keywords: Financial Planning, Resource Mobilization & Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations

Effect of Internal Controls on Resource Mobilization of Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County

NGOs operate in diverse environments and deal with different types of stakeholders, they face several risks, including financial fraud, mismanagement, and non-compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks. They are therefore vulnerable to fraud and embezzlement due to their reliance on donations and grants, lack of oversight, and decentralized operations. This study sought to determine the effect of internal controls on resource mobilization of non-governmental organizations in Nairobi County. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the current study was 64 humanitarian NGOs that are based in Nairobi County. While the unit of analysis was the 64 humanitarian NGOs, the unit of observation were two respondents from finance and project management departments of these organizations. The study adopted a census sampling technique where the entire sample size of 128 was used. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. A regression model was used to test the effect of Internal Controls on the resource mobilization of Humanitarian NGOs in Nairobi County. The results indicated that internal control has a positive and significant effect on resource mobilization of Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County (B = 0.273; t = 2.524 > 1.96, = P-Value = 0.013 < 0.05). The results of the first hypothesis revealed that Internal Control has a positive and significant effect on resource mobilization of Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County. The study concluded that Humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi County ought to increase their internal control measures in order to boost their resource mobilization. The study recommends that Humanitarian non-governmental organizations need to implement internal control measures, such as control environment, risk assessment and information & communication, in order to improve their financial accountability. To reduce the likelihood of fraud and to raise everyone's awareness of the expectations for adhering to established standards, it is also necessary to have a clear understanding of the significance of internal controls and the division of duty among all the employees. Keywords: Internal Controls, Resource Mobilization & Non-Governmental Organizations

Predictors and barriers to vaccination among older Syrian refugees in Lebanon: a cross-sectional analysis of a multi-wave longitudinal study

Vaccination is important to prevent morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 among older Syrian refugees. We aimed to elucidate the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Syrian refugees aged 50 years or older in Lebanon and to understand their main reasons for not receiving the vaccine. This was a cross-sectional analysis of a five-wave longitudinal study, conducted through telephone interviews between Sept 22, 2020, and March 14, 2022, in Lebanon. For this analysis, data were extracted from wave 3 (Jan 21-April 23, 2021), which included a question on vaccine safety and on whether participants intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and wave 5 (Jan 14-March 14, 2022), which included questions on actual vaccine uptake. Syrian refugees aged 50 years or older were invited to participate from a list of households that received assistance from the Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian non-governmental organisation. The outcome was self-reported COVID-19 vaccination status. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of vaccination uptake. Validation was completed internally with bootstrapping methods. 2906 participants completed both wave 3 and 5; the median age was 58 (IQR 55-64) years and 1538 (52·9%) were male. 1235 (42·5%) of 2906 participants had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The main reasons for not receiving the first dose included being afraid of its side-effects (670 [40·1%] of 1671) or not wanting the vaccine (637 [38·1%] of 1671). 806 (27·7%) of 2906 participants received the second dose of the vaccine and 26 (0·9%) of 2906 received the third dose. The main reason for not receiving the second (288 [67·1%] of 429) or third dose (573 [73·5%] of 780) was waiting for a text message for an appointment. Predictors of receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine included younger age (odds ratio 0·97; 95% CI 0·96-0·98), being male (1·39; 1·19-1·62), living inside informal tented settlements (1·44; 1·24-1·66), having elementary (1·23; 1·03-1·48) and preparatory education or above (1·15; 0·95-1·40), and having a pre-existing intention to receive the vaccine (1·29; 1·10-1·50). After adjusting for optimisation, the final model, which includes these five predictors of receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, showed moderate discrimination (C-statistic 0·605; 95% CI 0·584-0·624) and good calibration (c-slope 0·912; 95% CI 0·758-1·079). There is an ongoing need to address COVID-19 vaccine uptake among older Syrian refugees by improving deployment planning and raising awareness about the importance of vaccination. ELRHA's Research for Health in Humanitarian Crisis Programme.

The role and involvement of NGOs in activities related to humanitarian issues in Palestine

The colonialism and tyranny of the Palestinian people after the silence of the large-scale countries and the limited support of the Palestinian National Authority or the rather westernized capacity of the people, the presence of various types of non-governmental organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) carries out humanitarian assistance activities for vulnerable groups. This. The main objective of this research is to recognize the nature of humanity and the contribution of Malaysian Humanitarian NGOs to the Palestinian Humanitarian issue. Based on a qualitative approach, a virtual meeting was held with three members of the Safe Palestine NGO. The selection of this NGO was based on special assistance to the Palestinians and active involvement since the establishment of the organization. The study shows that there are various forms of assistance for humanity, Safe Palestine, through projects involving the economic, educational, social, health, agricultural, and infrastructure sectors that have successfully contributed to the health of people in the world. Active involvement through activities in Malaysia has made awareness of the Palestinian issue among the Malaysian community. However, Safe Palestine projects and activities are considered to be religious. The essence of the Palestinian issue is equated as humanism and not religion solely so that all ethnic groups, regardless of religious background, can go hand in hand in refuting Israel's misanthropy.

Future directions of professional photographers: A case study of changing hats between journalism and humanitarian photography

Abstract This article examines the professional values of self-employed photographers and other communication professionals who have worked for both journalism and humanitarian nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). These professionals face the current changes in the media work environment and expand their reach to different fields to find new work opportunities. The study focuses on the photographers’ motivations and professional values in addition to NGO–journalism relations. The findings show that pushing factors in the journalistic field, along with pulling factors in NGO work, motivate photographers to choose advocacy work. When photographers change from photojournalism to NGO photography, they must adhere to new professional values and ethics that mix with their existing values and which may occasionally contradict with photojournalistic working methods or the marketing and fundraising images at the NGOs, causing ethical dilemmas. Finally, photographers with a photojournalism background help NGOs gain news media publicity, yet they are rarely able to change the news agenda.

Experiences from Cyclone Anna and Cyclone Dumako: A short report

In the third week of January 2022, the southern districts of Malawi were hit by Cyclone Ana. The worst affected areas were Chikwawa and Nsanje. Four weeks following Cyclone Ana, a rather smaller cyclone, Dumako, hit the same areas, causing more damage. The Partners in Health or Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo, an international humanitarian nongovernmental organisation that provides primary health care (PHC), organised teams to join Chikwawa District Council - Health, providing PHC assistance in the most affected district (Chikwawa); these teams were joined by three senior residents in family medicine from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.Contribution: From the experiences of the interventions reported here, it was learnt that a multidisciplinary team of PHC providers is the key to the success of the emergency PHC programmes in times of natural disasters. While immediate PHC may be important at the actual time of disaster, it was learnt that PHC is also very important for continuation of care for chronic conditions, antenatal clinics and other clinics that are interrupted by the disaster. The experiences emphasised the importance of involving the PHC physicians and other PHC cadres in planning PHC programmes in natural disaster-prone areas.

Use of quality improvement methodology to improve care of women with hypertensive disease in pregnancy and haemorrhage in Yemen (low-income, high-insecurity setting)

This safety improvement project used quality improvement methods in a Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care facility in Yemen, managed by an international humanitarian non-governmental organisation. It is responsible for...

Perspectives on violent extremism from development–humanitarian NGO staff in Southeast Asia

Violent extremism (VE) significantly affects many contexts within which international development–humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operate in Southeast Asia. Recent preventing/countering violent extremism (P/CVE) models highlight the need for community-based preventative activities; however, there has been little research to date examining the understandings of international development–humanitarian NGOs regarding VE in their context, and little attention paid to their views as to how development–humanitarian NGO programming might seek to address VE. This paper explores the meaning and impact of VE as understood by the Myanmar, Indonesia and Philippines country office staff of a large international NGO. Drawing on 40 interviews, the findings illustrate new understandings of VE and the role NGOs can play in shaping and improving counter-extremism strategies. This includes a proposition to broaden the conceptual focus on extremism to include expressions of hatred and intolerance that do not necessarily involve threats, physical violence or links to violent extremist networks. Additionally, the findings point to the importance of relationships between VE and women’s and girls’ position in society, its effect on youth, and the relationship between extremism and any extreme use of force by the state or its promotion of hate towards minority groups.

Transforming forced displacement response through innovation

Abstract With more individuals forcibly displaced than any time since the Second World War, forced displacement has emerged as one of the defining political and humanitarian issues of the twenty-first century. In response to the changing nature of displacement, shortcomings of the humanitarian sector, and several ideological shifts that have taken place over the past 20 years, innovation has been embraced as a method to generate new breakthrough solutions for forced displacement. This article takes stock of innovation in forced displacement and charts a path forward for innovation in the sector. We articulate a vision for what forced displacement response should look like in 20 years, detailing an innovation agenda at the individual level, country level, and sector level. Grounded in our lessons learned from leading innovation at the International Rescue Committee, a large humanitarian non-governmental organization (NGO), we outline a set of strategies the sector should adopt to increase the quantity and quality of new innovations, improve the mechanisms to identify cost-effective innovations, and enhance the paths to scale for these innovations.

Resilience to Nested Crises: The Effects of the Beirut Explosion on COVID-19 Safety Protocol Adherence During Humanitarian Assistance to Refugees.

To provide services safely to refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic, humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have instituted public health safety protocols to mitigate the risk of spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, it can be difficult for people to adhere to protocols under the best of circumstances, and in situations of nested crises, in which one crisis contributes to a cascade of additional crises, adherence can further deteriorate. Such a nested crises situation occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, when a massive explosion in the city injured or killed thousands and destroyed essential infrastructure. Using data from a study on COVID-19 safety protocol adherence during refugee humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, we conduct a cross-country comparison to determine whether the nested crises in Beirut led to a deterioration of protocol adherence–the “fragile rationalism” orientation–or whether adherence remained robust–the “collective resilience” orientation. We found greater evidence for collective resilience, and from those findings make public health recommendations for service provision occurring in disaster areas.

STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS IN HUMANITARIAN SUPPLY CHAIN RESPONSE: JORDANIAN NGOS

The supply chain of humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) increasingly faces constant barriers to coordination. This study aims to examine how information technology can be used in the supply chain of the NGO humanitarian organizations in Jordan. A qualitative research design is used following case studies and interviews to help comprehend the situation within the humanitarian organizations in Jordan. It interviewed 16 humanitarian employees with at least five years in the subject discipline. It also used articles, documents, and books to help comprehend the nature of humanitarian firms and the strategies that can be used to overcome barriers that hinder the success of information sharing. The findings showed that there are barriers within the humanitarian organizations, but by implementing an information system, these can be resolved. Therefore, the proposed strategies include legal approaches and training to counter barriers to information sharing in humanitarian organizations. Furthermore, it contributes by highlighting the significance of information sharing within the humanitarian organization, which would assist in instigating successful supply chain procedures. Finally, it concludes the significance of information technologies in humanitarian logistics for effective disaster management.

The relationship between humanitarian NGO communication and user engagement on Twitter

One of the few actors whose mission is to provide support and advocacy for refugee communities with limited access to information and services are humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This study examines the narratives produced by the leading humanitarian NGOs on one of the most popular social media platforms today—namely, Twitter. The study investigates which narratives are most popular among global NGOs and whether the way they frame the refugee issue is related to Twitter engagement. The findings contribute to scholarship on online communication and user engagement, and also inform humanitarian NGO practices and policy discussions regarding media and migration.

‘Yardımsever’ olarak Devletler: Türk Tipi İnsani Diplomasi

Humanitarian diplomacy refers to a distinctive form of diplomatic activity undertaken by various actors to protect human life and dignity in situations where they are under threat. Initially, the concept was more associated with humanitarian non-governmental organizations and some UN agencies. However, today, an increasing number of states adopt humanitarian diplomacy as a foreign policy instrument and portray themselves as global humanitarian actors. Over the last decade, Turkey has also emerged as one of the major actors in the field of humanitarian assistance, and humanitarianism has become a central theme in the discourse of Turkish foreign policymakers. Most notably, the Turkish government has officially placed the concept of humanitarian diplomacy in its foreign policy agenda. Therefore, this article seeks to analyze the recent emergence of Turkey as a global humanitarian actor and explore the main characteristics of the ‘Turkish brand of humanitarian diplomacy.’ For this purpose, it offers a three-pillar approach to assess the individual state practice of humanitarian diplomacy and discusses how Turkey’s general humanitarian policy resonates with the three pillars of state-led humanitarian diplomacy. It also examines its humanitarian responses to Somalia and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar as case studies. State-led humanitarian diplomacy has further deepened the politicization of humanitarianism and the standardization of the humanitarian system in the post-Cold War period. In this context, the article concludes that Turkey’s adoption of humanitarian diplomacy has contributed to these two global trends, both by associating humanitarian diplomacy with broader political issues and political goals and by helping the institutional capacity-building of the international humanitarian aid system.