Humanitarian Space as Arena: A Perspective on the Everyday Politics of Aid

Abstract

Humanitarian space' denotes the physical or symbolic space which humanitarian agents need to deliver their services according to the principles they uphold. This concept, which separates humanitarian action from its politicized environment, is widely used in policy documents and academic texts, even though empirical evidence abounds that this space is in fact highly politicized. To some extent the uncritical use of the concept of humanitarian space is understandable because of its aspirational character. This article explores a different angle: how different actors use the concept and the language of humanitarian space and principles in the everyday politics of aid delivery. It proposes an empirical perspective that approaches humanitarian space from the perspective of everyday practices of policy and implementation. It maintains that the humanitarian space is an arena where a multitude of actors, including humanitarians and the disaster-affected recipients of aid, shape the everyday realities of humanitarian action. The paper develops this perspective for two humanitarian operations: a protracted refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, and the tsunami response in Sri Lanka.

Seeking ‘common information’ among refugees, program workers, and academic researchers

“…While refugees' and humanitarians' divergent goals has been discussed (e.g. Hilhorst and Jansen, 2010;Yarrow, 2008), less attention has been paid to the implications these different positionings have for how and why information is obtained and interpreted.…”

Who is your constituency? The political engagement of humanitarian organisations

“…Within this arena, aid gets shaped through the interactions between these multiple actors (Hilhorst andJansen 2010: 1121). For example, aid workers must obtain permission to implement activities from the political authorities, including fulfilling administrative procedures such as obtaining visas and other permits and organising the importation of supplies and establishing proper communications (Warner 1999).…”

The humanitarian protectorate of South Sudan? Understanding insecurity for humanitarians in a political economy of aid

“…It is an arena in which different actors operate under different labels, such as post-conflict reconstruction, emergency relief, humanitarian or development aid, capacity building and many more (Goodhand 2002;Hilhorst & Jansen 2010;Salomons 2015). Moreover, it is part of that wider international community, together with the UN apparatus, multilateral and donor organisations, states, individual (I)NGOs, private and military actors, in an 'international community' that is rarely defined (Veit 2010).…”