The Effects of Insecurity on Humanitarian Coverage

This study report on field research in Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
30 November 2016
Country:
Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria
Document Type:
Research Paper
Theme:
Humanitarian Disasters and Emergencies
Authors:
Stoddard, A, Jillani, S, Caccavale, J, Cooke, P, Guillemois, D, Klimentov, V

Abstract

In a small number of crisis-affected countries, humanitarian organisations work amid active conflict and under direct threat of violence. This insecurity, attested to by rising aid worker casualty rates, significantly constrains humanitarian operations and hinders the ability of people in emergencies to access vital aid. How and to what extent this happens is unknown, in part because humanitarian operational presence itself has never been measured.

To assess concretely the impact of insecurity on humanitarian response, the ‘Secure Access in Volatile Environments’ (SAVE) study conducted field research in 4 of the world’s most insecure operational settings – Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Syria. The objective was to measure humanitarian field presence relative to the level of need in the particular contexts (i.e. humanitarian coverage), and to determine how this coverage was affected by security conditions.

The results of the study show that humanitarian operations are highly determined by security conditions and that coverage of humanitarian needs in war zones is even lower than it might outwardly appear, as aid organisations will typically remain in the country, even after suffering attacks, but will reduce their field presence and adopt new, often suboptimal, operational models to continue programming.

An interactive version of findings is available

This report is part of the Secure Access in Volatile Environments (SAVE) research programme

Citation

  • Stoddard, A., & Jillani, S. with Caccavale, J., Cooke, P., Guillemois, D., & Klimentov, V. (2016). The Effects of Insecurity on Humanitarian Coverage (Report from the Secure Access in Volatile Environments (SAVE) research programme. Humanitarian Outcomes.

  • Stoddard, A., & Jillani, S. with Caccavale, J., Cooke, P., Guillemois, D., & Klimentov, V. (2016). Briefing note: The Effects of Insecurity on Humanitarian Coverage (Report from the Secure Access in Volatile Environments (SAVE) research programme. Humanitarian Outcomes. November

The Effects of Insecurity on Humanitarian Coverage

The Effects of Insecurity on Humanitarian Coverage: Briefing Note

Updates to this page

Published 30 November 2016
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