This thesis situates the concept of humanitarian accountability within “a historical and concrete reality” (Brauman and Neuman 2014, 1). A preliminary investigation of the academic literature...Show moreThis thesis situates the concept of humanitarian accountability within “a historical and concrete reality” (Brauman and Neuman 2014, 1). A preliminary investigation of the academic literature establishes humanitarian accountability as a matter of moral as well as practical concern for humanitarian organisations. Despite this it is also found that the concept of humanitarian accountability has been poorly defined, and research as to its practice is severely lacking. Through the investigation of two distinct humanitarian organisations this research therefore explores the degree to which theoretical standards for humanitarian accountability translate into practice under the multiple constraints faced within the humanitarian sector. The evidence drawn from a qualitative examination of the practice of humanitarian accountability at the World Food Programme and at Médecins Sans Frontières is discussed in a comparative analysis, which reveals that lacunae in the understanding of basic concepts engenders deficiencies in the practice of humanitarian accountability at both organisations. This demonstrates the need for continued academic research in the field of humanitarian aid in order for organisations to pursue an informed course of action and maintain the ability to place the vulnerable individuals in need of assistance at the heart of their endeavours.Show less
This thesis examines how the humanitarian sector is integrating various data technologies into its work. Innovation offers enormous opportunities for the sector, yet also brings with it new risks....Show moreThis thesis examines how the humanitarian sector is integrating various data technologies into its work. Innovation offers enormous opportunities for the sector, yet also brings with it new risks. Technological innovation is, and will in the foreseeable future continue to be, inextricably linked to partnering with the private sector. This fits in a larger pattern where private sector involvement is becoming increasingly important in humanitarian aid. In this process, private sector norms are increasingly adopted for governing precarity. The research examines the mode of deployment of technologies through a case study of the WFP in Yemen. The Houthi faction’s refusal to accept biometric identity systems there led to a temporary partial suspension of food aid. This deployment is considered through the framework of the humanitarian principles, and finds that the WFP is jeopardizing both the lives of the most vulnerable people and the sector’s sustained access to conflict and disasters. These findings are interpreted through a theoretical framework, focusing on the marketization of multilateralism in the time of surveillance capitalism. The research establishes a technodeterminist reliance on data, represented as neutral reflections of complex realities. The belief in the abilities and necessity of these technologies to maximize impact and efficiency comes as the cost of agency, privacy, and sovereignty. This thesis ultimately argues for recentering humanitarian action and innovation on the humanitarian principles, in order to maintain the legitimate authority of the sector and to safeguard the wellbeing of its beneficiaries.Show less
Scholars and humanitarian aid organizations alike continue to debate the effectiveness of varying methods of aid distribution in areas of protracted crisis. This thesis contributes to the field of...Show moreScholars and humanitarian aid organizations alike continue to debate the effectiveness of varying methods of aid distribution in areas of protracted crisis. This thesis contributes to the field of knowledge and research on the impact of interagency coordinated humanitarian responses to food insecurity amid civil war in South Sudan using measured IPC data, and furthermore explores how local actors and organizations in the region ‘measured up’ in their willingness and ability to assist in increasing food security in South Sudan in 2016.Show less
Humanitarian ideals are increasingly driving the rhetoric of intervention in the post-Cold War period. Is this indicative of conscientious international environment, or are more cynical...Show moreHumanitarian ideals are increasingly driving the rhetoric of intervention in the post-Cold War period. Is this indicative of conscientious international environment, or are more cynical machinations responsible? Through the analysis of the political rhetoric of prominent case studies, this paper seeks to determine the nature of humanitarian intervention in relation to contemporary understandings of international politics.Show less
