Tough Choices in Darfur: When Principles Collide

by Michael Bear

category: Humanitarian Relief

Published May 07, 2009 @ 11:03AM PT

This is the second of three pieces looking at some of the challenges facing aid agencies expelled from Darfur, as well as those still operational in the region. Part 1 is here, and Part 3 is here.

These are adapted from a longer article I wrote - Tough choices for agencies expelled from Darfur - which just went up on the Humanitarian Practice Network.

Dilemma #2 - When following the humanitarian imperative means sacrificing independence and neutrality

The question is not simply whether remaining agencies have the capacity to replicate the services provided by their expelled and disbanded counterparts, but whether they should do so at all.  And, by the same token, should expelled agencies return if given the choice?

This is particularly pressing now - according to my genocide co-blogger Michelle, the Sudanese government has said that it will welcome "new" foreign aid organizations, while Rob Crilly reports that some of these "new" organizations might simply be the expelled agencies returning under new names.

On the one hand, the humanitarian imperative is clear - according to the Oslo Guidelines: "Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with particular attention to the most vulnerable in the population, such as children, women and the elderly."

Yet if the expelled agencies rush to return, they set a dangerous precedent.  The Sudanese government may well conclude that it can act against aid agencies with impunity, confident that aid agencies will always bow to their demands.

Which raises a fundamental question - at what point does humanitarian action become so neutered that it simply serves as a political tool of the regime in power?

Given the Sudanese government's actions over the past few years - described by Eric Reeves as a  "long, brutal war of attrition directed at humanitarian aid efforts in Darfur" - it would be stunningly naive to assume that  Sudan would suddenly start to play nice.

It's not hard to imagine that any aid agencies that return would soon be faced with new demands, forced to make new compromises.  This is of particular concern given the Sudanese government’s antagonism towards any agencies which highlight gender-based violence, or in any way advocate publicly about the situation.

At the very least, accepting a deal with the Sudanese Government risks undermining whatever humanitarian space remains.

[Woman outside of Kass camp in Darfur - Photo from Magnum Photos]