Testing Times for Baroness Amos

Last month saw the appointment of Baroness Valerie Amos as the most senior humanitarian in the world. Formerly a UK government minister, she has now been appointed as the United Nations’ Emergency Relief Co-ordinator.

In that role she will be responsible for leading the international humanitarian system as it tries to help people caught up in natural disasters and conflicts around the world.

It’s a big job at the best of times. But Baroness Amos enters it at a particularly critical moment. Humanitarianism stands at a crossroads. If we are not careful, the humanitarian system will not be able to cope with the challenges of the future.

Firstly, climate change, population growth and rapid urbanisation are changing the types of disasters that people are facing and increasing the number of vulnerable people in the world. There’s an increasing number of small and medium-sized disasters, like river-floods. Slow-onset emergencies, like the drought currently devastating Niger, are getting worse too, while the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti this year gives a window into a future of terrible urban disasters.

Secondly, humanitarianism is being threatened by political forces that put at risk the impartiality, neutrality and independence of humanitarian agencies. Effective humanitarian response relies on delivering life-saving aid to the people who need it most. It shouldn’t be skewed by military, political or other agendas. These humanitarian principles are coming under increasing pressure, especially in places like Afghanistan.

As a result, aid is not always being delivered effectively, aid workers and civilians are put in danger, and some of the most vulnerable people are not receiving the aid they need.

Finally, the humanitarian system itself is coming in for a lot of criticism. Some observers have criticised the effectiveness of the response in Haiti. Others, like journalist Linda Polman, have questioned the very motives of humanitarian agencies in conflict zones. Criticisms of this kind have been made before, but the ability of the humanitarian system to do its job is currently coming under particular scrutiny.

All this means that Baroness Amos has a challenging time ahead. But there are clear ways that she can lead the humanitarian community to combat these threats. To tackle climate change and demographic trends, she should prioritise better preparation for disasters, especially through Disaster Risk Reduction. It is common sense to build a flood barrier, for example, instead of waiting for a flood before clearing up the mess.

To address political challenges, Baroness Amos should focus on improving humanitarian leadership and independence. In particular, she should make sure that UN humanitarian leaders in conflict-affected countries robustly defend humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence.

Finally, humanitarian response needs to be made better by improving professionalism and accountability of the system to disaster-affected populations. All humanitarian agencies have to continue to improve the ways in which they are answerable to the people who are receiving aid. In particular, as more than half the people affected by crises are children, they should focus on making sure the needs of children are met.

Baroness Amos has a busy in-tray. But she is also arriving in the job at a time when strong humanitarian leadership is more vital than ever.

Tags: Baroness Amos, disaster risk reduction, Haiti earthquake, niger drought

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