HAS HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE CHANGED IN THE WAKE OF ATTACKS? "YES AND NO"
A EurasiaNet Q&A: 10/08/01

The United States opened its air campaign against Taliban targets on October 7. According to news accounts, up to 20 people were believed killed in the first round of raids against Taliban military installations. US officials say air strikes against selected targets in Kabul and other areas of Afghanistan will continue in the coming days. The air assault will accelerate the flow of civilians seeking to flee the violence. According to UNHCR estimates, the US campaign against terrorism could create up to 1.5 million new refugees in Afghanistan, a country that already has experienced almost 22 years of continuous conflict. Dean Hirsch is President and Chief Executive Officer of World Vision International, a privately funded Christian relief and development organization that works in over 90 countries and assists over 75 million people. Hirsch spoke to EurasiaNet on October 2. His comments follow:

EurasiaNet: What are the most pressing humanitarian needs facing Afghans, both those inside the country and in refugee camps in the surrounding countries?

Hirsch: Even before the attacks of September 11, the situation in Afghanistan was perhaps the most critical and complex humanitarian emergency in the world. The numbers in need are staggering. An estimated 7.5 million Afghans, more than a quarter of the country's population, are at risk. With the anticipated military action, an additional 1.5 million are likely to become refugees. This is besides the 3.6 million who are already refugees. Meanwhile, the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP) are reporting that food supplies remaining in the country are dangerously low, a few weeks' worth at best.

The majority of people at risk are women and children. They are even more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation during periods of crisis. Particular attention must be given to ensure that their rights are protected and needs met. With winter approaching, many Afghans need help with basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, blankets, and medicine. With the borders closed around much of the country, aid delivery is either impossible or extremely difficult. For example, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) had to use a combination of trucks and mules to transport tons of emergency supplies over mountain passes.

EurasiaNet: Does working in Afghanistan present problems for a Christian organization like World Vision?

Hirsch: World Vision works in a number of predominately Muslim countries. We seek to work with sensitivity and cultural and religious respect. We are not a church. We do not proselytize. ... We provide assistance to all in need regardless of race, ethnicity or religion.

EurasiaNet: But what about the expatriate NGO staff who are now on trial in Kabul, having been accused of propagating Christianity?

Hirsch: We hope that they are safe and always desire that due process is followed in these kinds of situations. But it should be noted that all foreign staff of humanitarian agencies and media have been expelled from Afghanistan, not just the staff of Christian non-governmental organizations (NGOs.) Furthermore, many indigenous staff, and even faith-based NGOs, have been allowed to continue their work. Yet their numbers are much reduced and the effectiveness of their work impeded. The remaining indigenous staff working for international agencies in Afghanistan will face huge challenges to mount vital assistance programs under increasingly harsh and difficult conditions.

EurasiaNet: How does the Afghanistan situation compare in scope and complexity with other complex humanitarian emergencies in which World Vision has been involved?

Hirsch: Given the difficult access, the political sensitivity, and the overwhelming need, this is certainly one of the most challenging humanitarian emergencies that we have faced. And we've dealt with quite a few in recent years: refugees and others displaced by war in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Angola, droughts and famine in Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya, earthquakes in El Salvador and India, hurricanes in Central America and the Caribbean, and floods in Mozambique, China, and Vietnam.

EurasiaNet: Many commentators say the world has changed as a result of the September 11 attacks. Has humanitarian assistance also changed?

Hirsch: Yes and no. The moral and fundamental principles that compel the international community to meet humanitarian need remain as strong as ever. The international standards that ensure quality and accountability in providing assistance to refugees, displaced persons, the victims of war or natural disaster remain as strong as ever. World Vision will continue to adhere to both standards and principles.

However, the scale, the complexity, and the political, cultural and religious sensitivity in which we and other NGOs now work has been significantly altered in light of the heightened international commitment to bring terrorists to justice. We need to rethink our operations, communications, marketing, fundraising strategies, and everyday work habits. For example, we need to take all reasonable steps to help ensure that both our staff and those whom we serve are kept out of harm's way.

World Vision has a mandate to respond to every major natural disaster or man-made humanitarian emergency. We were on the verge of partnering with another agency to assist internally displaced Afghans before the September 11 attacks. Those attacks have considerably changed the context and space for humanitarian response, especially in Afghanistan. We are now working with several international agencies and local partners to forge a multi-agency humanitarian alliance to better assist Afghans in critical need both within the country and in refugee camps.

EurasiaNet: You noted earlier how difficult it is to get food and emergency supplies into Afghanistan. How will you do it now?

Hirsch: World Vision maintains emergency relief supplies warehoused in North America, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and elsewhere. We have just sent five containers of emergency goods to Tajikistan to begin to address the needs there. We want to be ready as the situation worsens.

Given that we are operational in nearly 100 countries and employ over 13,000 staff, we are equipped to respond quickly, effectively and on a large scale if the numbers of refugees and internally displaced continues to climb.

EurasiaNet: Even if World Vision and other humanitarian agencies are able to meet the short-term needs of Afghan refugees, what happens to these people when the world's attention is drawn elsewhere?

Hirsch: Until now, the world's attention has been elsewhere. Through heroic efforts the UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and NGOs have managed to feed and shelter Afghans in need. But, as you suggest, this is only a short-term fix. The long-term solution is in a peaceful resolution to the internal and external conflicts facing Afghanistan and in good governance. In all our relief operations, we seek to move toward reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction whenever possible. Our goal is to help poor communities build sustainable livelihoods so that our assistance is not needed in the future.

Editor’s Note: This EurasiaNet Q&A was conducted by Dr. Robert M. Cutler, Research Fellow at the Institute of European & Russian Studies at Carleton University in Montreal, Canada.

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Posted October 8, 2001 © Eurasianet
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