The militarization of humanitarian assistance : an emerging crisis

Military forces are ramping up their involvement in 'humanitarian' action and in doing so are creating operational and ethical problems for humanitarian organisations and professionals who operate in an otherwise politically neutral environment. Using the current Afghanistan conflict (2001-2005) as a case study, the research focuses on the evolving nature of civil-military relations in peace-building operations, and how these relations became changed and altered after the Bush administration's newly declared war on terror. The study begins by seeking an understanding of how and why the military expanded their war effort to include the direct financing of "humanitarian" interventions. The result points to the need to better understand the military's current methods and ethos to `win the peace' and win the hearts and minds of the people. In turn, the study leads to the identification of a new military paradigm that is making its way into military doctrine. This expanded doctrine is leading to the possible amalgamation of government departments that will enable the military to lead nation-building missions around the world. It will also support the simultaneous execution of combat operations (destructive phase) with their nation-building operations (constructive phase). In Afghanistan, the US military's new multi-pronged strategy was manifested through the resurrection of a similar strategy used in Vietnam. Now called Provincial Reconstruction Teams, the military is using this tool to undertake armed `nation-building' activities. By choosing to operate in the arena normally occupied by NGOs and UN relief and development agencies, the military is grossly disturbing the neutral, non-partisan character of their work by, among other things, blurring the lines that distinguish civilian efforts from the politically motivated war effort. The research looks at how the military's intrusion affects the working environment and development approach of the humanitarian community. The study includes the position of the United Nations who are mediators between humanitarian agencies and the military, but are non-the-less challenged by this new military paradigm. By exploring the military's motivation for their new course of action and comparing it with the response from the humanitarian sector, the research identifies a number of key problems and conflicts, that have affected the relief and reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. As a result, an emerging crisis is identified and it's potential to exacerbate human suffering in new post-conflict environments is emphasised. The analysis concludes by identifying de-conflict options, recommending policies to the international community, and suggesting a way forward