CIAO DATE: 03/2010
February 2010
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
The changing nature of armed conflict has resulted in increased need to safeguard civilians, including humanitarian personnel, which is reflected in the emerging protection of civilians agenda. This report considers to what extent the issues raised in the recently updated OCHA Aide Memoire reflect the security needs of aid workers on the ground, by examining the case of Darfur. By performing a within-case analysis, this study portrays the humanitarian workers’ own perspective of the micro-dynamics of security in Darfur. It argues that the principles of humanitarian action, such as neutrality, impartiality and independence, provide protection and are pivotal for humanitarian security. However, these principles do not protect against all threats and need to be supplemented by other strategies such as protective walls, unarmed guards, barbed wire and security training.
Resource link: The Protection of Aid Workers [PDF] - 1.1M