One of the greatest writers of 19th-century America, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said,” Self-sacrifice is the real mystery out of which all the reported mysteries grow.” There are no words that you adequately express the tireless and devoted work of humanitarian assistance staff.
However, one should not lose sight of the fact that these people are in no less need of safety when taking their self-sacrifice for granted.
Unfortunately, the depressing data are proof of that. In observance of the 102 aid workers killed in the ongoing Israeli-Has issue, UN agencies all over the world lowered their banners on November 13.
More than 400 charitable employees were hurt, including 116 people who died, as a result of the 235 episodes that took place in three dozen nations next year. The highest victim count was in South Sudan, followed by Mali, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What’s the answer?
In actuality, it is possible to anticipate, reduce, and also avoid safety risks. According to Sophie Buur, a charitable security expert and the director of training at the security company Dyami, the solution may include state actors, non-state agents, charitable organizations, and donors.
According to Buur, citing the Geneva Conventions,” State and non-state players need to better know, regard, and uphold international humanitarian law.”
In accordance with that report, the law “requires parties to a fight to respect and protect personnel participating in pleasure actions” and “provides protection for pleasure activities” in that parties may permit and promote quick and unhindered section of all comfort consignments, equipment, and personnel.”
However, relying only on the parties ‘ moral behavior would be a fatal error. Aid workers often find themselves in the middle of fighting or in areas ruled by unauthorized armed groups whose adherents disregard global laws.
Terrorist organizations, in particular, have frequently targeted employees of international non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) in an effort to gain media attention or demand ransom. A well-known instance involved the kidnapping and execution of five Action Against Hunger employees by the Islamic State in West Africa ( ISWA ) in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno.
Information is strength.
Charitable organizations must take on greater accountability for the safety of their staff due to the element of uncertainty, which is typical of most crisis situations. The issue is primarily related to training for health skills and personal security awareness.
Buur emphasized that all team members, irrespective of their position, should be given training.” Humanitarian agencies need to work harder to do more to uphold their duty of care duties ( both legally and ethically ) to their employees, both national and international.”
The expert continued,” People working in the office and people traveling for the organization should train their drivers in protection awareness.” ” We need to do a better job of educating staff about the dangers and risks they face while working or traveling, as well as making sure they are aware of the firm’s SOPs], standard operating procedures, disaster programs, etc.
Additionally, she added,” we must keep pushing for the integration of safety and security into our activities.” When developing new initiatives and figuring out how to carry them out, security and safety should be a top priority.
Donors may also play a part in enhancing the security of aid workers in hazardous areas. Buur emphasized that” Security does not always have the funds required to train employees or hire individuals especially designated for the responsibilities of safety and security.”
difficulties in working for smaller NGOs
The fact that philanthropists do certainly all have the same level of support is what is especially concerning about their security and safety. According to the 2023 Aid Worker Security Report, 184 compared to 162 victims were lost by national humanitarian agencies last year, marking the first time in a generation.
International Organizations frequently relied on their local colleagues rather than sending their own team when addressing wars in Syria, Yemen, or Myanmar. National support staff consequently turned out to be more vulnerable to risk. For example, 43 of 44 victims of humanitarian workers in Sudan reported being local employees.
The report also discovered that NGOs frequently allocate training resources proportionally, favoring their foreign staff. Also, smaller charitable organizations typically have to take an unexpected approach to individual security training, whereas larger organizations use more established programs.
According to Buur, the most important factors to take into account are the diversity of organizations, their resources, and their potential.
” Big international companies have compliance officials looking into whether the business is up to its duty of care and are better at teaching staff and hiring people specifically for safety and security.”
However, there are also smaller local NGOs that collaborate with large corporations and frequently take on a lot more danger because they are present where the activity is. Additionally, they lack the funds to hire a safety and security staff and train employees, according to the professional.
The kind of training is important.
While online courses are more economical, in-person safety training is the most result-oriented but also expensive mode. The former ones’ guidelines can undoubtedly aid in identifying and also reducing risks in administrative settings.
However, unlike in-person instruction, online programs are unable to model actual-world circumstances. It is also well known that participants can better understand the educational materials by engaging in face-to-face conversation and acting while learning.
The most effective strategy is thought to be a combined one that combines both online and in-person modes. And this is where the issue starts: many NGOs, especially small and local people, just may afford that level of training.
Sadly, this comes at a higher cost. Lack of security training can increase aid workers ‘ risk exposure, and the NGOs ‘ leadership and donors should carefully consider this.