2005 Sample Examination (P-2)

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
ESSAYS: A. Discuss the concept of military intervention for humanitarian purpose in countries where large scale loss of life, human rights violations, ethnic cleansing, or any other humanitarian disaster is imminent. Assess the interrelationship between the principles of sovereignty and nonintervention and the moral imperative to protect people from harm. B. Over the past 30 years, Calypso has been facing a civil war. Since 1985, it is estimated that more than 1.5 million people have been displaced. The deterioration of the conflict over the past few years has led to the internal displacement of at least 800,000 people. In 1999 alone the civil war in Calypso caused 225,000 to leave their land in order to escape violence between rightist death squads, leftist guerrillas and the military. Although a few thousand of those fleeing persecution have managed to cross the border to request asylum in other countries, the vast majority have no choice but to seek refuge in other areas of Calypso less immediately affected by the escalating violence. The flow of displaced people is from rural areas affected by the armed conflict to the cities where they end up in marginalized and overcrowded shanty towns where unemployment is high, education for children is not possible, access to health care is almost nonexistent, housing conditions are unsanitary, and poverty and crime are extremely high. Rightist paramilitary forces are allegedly responsible for the majority of displacement incidents; guerrilla groups come second, followed to a lesser extent by state forces such as the army, police and government-sponsored civilian defense cooperatives. The issue of land is at the heart of the conflict. Paramilitary forces deliberately depopulate areas to benefit their wealthy patrons, including large landholders and business people. On the other hand, guerrillas target political leaders, business owners and landholders whom they perceive to be opposing them. They do so to intimidate the local population into supporting them, but their tactics lead to displacement. Finally, military troops sometimes use force to flush out guerrillas who may hide amongst peasants. The victims of internal displacement are predominantly peasants, the majority of which are women and children, and flee in small groups or individually. Local assistance to the displaced is limited to a three-month relief package provided by the State or the Calypsian Red Cross. In many cases this assistance is not accessible to the displaced who lack the necessary personal documentation. Many displaced also prefer to avoid any contact with local authorities and stay anonymous in fear of further persecution. Displaced are commonly stigmatised and discriminated against by local authorities who reportedly refuse to provide adequate assistance. The physical safety of displaced is also at risk in many areas. Recently, the government adopted a series of measures to provide assistance, protection and socio-economic consolidation and stabilization to internally displaced people, and to prevent forced displacement. However, implementation of these measures has been disappointing due to excessive decentralisation, lack of coordination, insufficient funds and lack of will to implement substantial prevention policies. Moreover, many displaced people have resisted the government pressure to return home because there is no assurance of safety.

2005 Sample Examination (P-2)

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
Local and national NGOs have from the beginning played a vital role in the response to the plight of the displaced and are still the only consistent source of information. NGO operational activities, however, tend to be fragmented, poorly coordinated and limited mostly to emergency assistance. Furthermore, relations between NGOs and public authorities continue to be based on mistrust and suspicion. Despite the presence of many United Nations and other international agencies in Calypso, very few of them are directly involved in assisting the internally displaced. The International Committee of the Red Cross is one of the few. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has only a limited presence in the country. Recently, headquarters in the country of both organizations have been attacked by internally displaced people to call attention to their situation, leading the ICRC to suspend temporarily all of its operations in the country. At the request of the Calypso Government, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has been asked to provide advice on how they should more effectively address the problem of their internally displaced population. Your task is to identify the main issues, to establish priorities for action, and to propose effective mechanisms and measures to address the problems identified C. One of the objectives of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Relief Branch is to ensure the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance operations in sudden crises/disasters through agreed international response to disasters, appropriate field coordination measures and efficient use of resources. This includes developing coherent humanitarian assistance procedures, and coordinating international relief operations with national, international and non-governmental organizations both in the capital of the affected country and at the site of the emergency. Suppose that you are assigned as Field Humanitarian Officer in Bartok, the capital of Mangrove, a developing country. Two days ago, a powerful cyclone hit the coastal region of the country. The affected coastal region is located more than 500 kilometers away from Bartok. According to preliminary reports of the Regional Government, the storm has left a trail of devastation and the region remains cut off from the rest of the country. The telecommunication lines and rail/road links are still blocked. Water and power supplies have been completely disrupted. It is estimated that about 2.5 million people in more than 80 towns and villages have been affected by the storm and the cyclone-induced floods. 2,000 persons are officially reported dead and over 35,000 injured. More than 100,000 houses have been either destroyed or damaged and a large number of livestock perished. There is a possibility of outbreak of communicable diseases and water supplied by tanks is contaminated. Numerous international organizations and non-governmental organizations, such as Oxfam, CARE, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, Christian Aid, Caristas, etc., are pouring into the country to provide humanitarian and disaster relief assistance. As well, UN agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), have deployed teams in the country to support the governments efforts and
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2005 Sample Examination (P-2)

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
to provide relief assistance. The current situation in the capital is rather chaotic and disorganized, with all these players eager to assist but without any clear sense of direction about activities to be undertaken, the affected region still being isolated. As Field Humanitarian Officer in the country, your supervisor has asked you to develop a plan of action for the effective organization, coordination and delivery of relief assistance to the affected population. Your plan of action should identify and explain the priorities, the actions to be undertaken, the respective roles and responsibilities, and required resources. QUESTIONS: 1. Identify and briefly discuss some of the challenges facing humanitarian organizations operating in a country where international sanctions are in effect. 2. a) Frequently, in post-conflict peace-building situations, humanitarian organizations operate side-by-side with a United Nations Peace-keeping mission. Identify and briefly discuss three of the reasons why it is important to maintain distinction between humanitarian activities and the political-military component of a UN peacekeeping mission. b) How can humanitarian organizations maintain an appropriate level of distinction while achieving at the same time a close coordination of activities with the peacekeeping mission? 3. Identify four international instruments that protect refugees and internally displaced people and briefly discuss their specific purpose. 4. Developing a culture of protection has been identified as a priority in the SecretaryGenerals Millennium declaration. Discuss this notion of culture of protection and describe what has been done so far regarding its implementation. Identify and briefly discuss additional measures that should be taken. 5. The United Nations Development Programme has been working on the development of a Disaster Risk Index (DRI). Describe the Index, its use and its limitations 6. Non-government organizations play a large role in providing relief assistance in times of crisis. Select two of the following Non-Government Organizations: a) b) c) d) e) f) Doctors without Borders International Red Cross CARE Oxfam World Vision Caritas

Describe their mandate and their role in humanitarian interventions, and discuss how it overlaps or complements with that of some United Nations Agencies, Funds or Programmes.

2005 Sample Examination (P-2)

HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
7. Briefly describe the humanitarian situation and the challenges facing the humanitarian community in three of the following countries, regions or territories: a) b) c) d) e) f) Burundi Chechnya Liberia North Korea Occupied Palestinian Territories and Gaza Sudan

8. Describe in detail four steps that you would follow in developing and implementing a fund raising campaign to respond to a major humanitarian crisis.