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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
New Humanitarian Actors
>> Foreign Aid in the National Interest >> Chapter 5 >> New Humanitarian Actors Jump to Chapter 5 Sections:
>> Humanitarian aid in the 1990's >> New humanitarian actors >> Innovations, failures and the crisis in humanitarian aid >> Evolving practices and future changes >> Looking ahead >> Background paper >> References
Almost all organizations have expanded their operational ties to each other and to local and international NGOs, the primary implementing partners for the United Nations. Two other intergovernmental bodies-the International Organization for Migration and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies-are often also important responders and UN partners.
The rise of nongovernmental organizations
Like UN agencies, in the 1980s bilateral donors such as the U.S. government began to rely increasingly on NGOs to deliver humanitarian aid in conflict settings, primarily because NGOs generally have a grassroots orientation and a flexible, results-oriented approach.35 NGOs used to work at arm’s length from donor governments, but over time the relationship has become more intimate. Interest in increased impact and accountability has led to more intense donor involvement in NGO program designs, while increased funding has made some NGOs donordependent. For example, three of the five largest aid programmes in the United States-CARE, Catholic Relief Services, and Save the Children-receive around half their funding from the U.S.government.
Reflecting this close relationship, the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance channels 60-70 percent of its funds to NGOs. Other donors also exhibit close relationships with NGOs. Increased bilateral funding has heightened the danger that NGOs will be perceived as agents of Western governments rather than as independent, nongovernmental actors. As one NGO executive has noted, "availing oneself of government resources to the fullest while retaining independence and remaining true to the [humanitarian] ethos can be very difficult."
With donors and UN agencies increasingly dependent on them, NGOs have at times become the heart and soul of relief operations. Working in nearly every crucial intervention area (including food, shelter, water, sanitation, health, agriculture, and microenterprise development), they have provided services in situations where governments and other members of the international community have been unable or unwilling to do so.
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Last Updated on: October 07, 2009 |
