From Emergency to Social Security in Sudan - Part II: The Donor Response

In the first part of this article I examined the crisis of subsistence in Sudan resulting from the commercial development of the North and the war in the South. An attempt was also made to relate the deepening impoverishment that this represents to a decay in governance. There is a tendency amongst donor and government officials, which is reflected in the literature, to regard the unfolding crisis as the transitory result of exceptional circumstances rather than as irreversible and therefore warranting a major revaluation of policy. As a consequence, social security and emergency planning has generally been of an emergency type. In this, the final part of the article, I examine the donor response in more detail. In particular, I argue that the decay of governance is so extensive that a donor-led system of social security has been imposed on Sudan. This system has a number of characteristics, the most important of which is that it exists in the absence of the political renewal and democratisation that would be necessary for the technical solutions it advocates to be implemented. The result is that donor-led security, which is typical of the Horn of Africa, proceeds in a relation of antagonism to the sovereign power, a situation which significantly reduces the efficiency of the measures undertaken.     

A 'Principled' Approach to Complex Emergencies: Testing a New Aid Delivery Model in the Nuba Mountains

This paper provides an analysis of the Nuba Mountains Programme Advancing Conflict Trans-formation (NMPACT) as an example of an operational response in a complex emergency that innovatively addressed an incipient food security crisis. NMPACT is notable for having brought together an array of actors around a common principled agenda and for being the only operational programme in the Sudan to which both warring parties subscribed during the conflict. The key features of the programme are presented and the main innovative elements are reviewed, including the role of the principles of engagement and the 'political humanitarianism' of NMPACT. The paper looks at how NMPACT broke from traditional externally driven responses to food insecurity, and, drawing on lessons from Operation Lifeline Sudan, adopted an approach that focuses on capacity building, sustainable agriculture and market revitalisation, alongside conflict transformation and peace-building. The limitations of the model are also assessed, and preliminary lessons regarding its replication in other complex emergency contexts are presented.     

The Prevention and Mitigation of Famine: Policy Lessons from Botswana and Sudan

Botswana and Sudan experienced consecutive years of drought in the 1980s. Sudan faced a large decline in food entitlement and nutritional deterioration, which translated into famine in 1984/85. Botswana, on the other hand, nearly compensated income losses and averted nutritional deterioration and famine-related deaths. There are important lessons to learn from the famine prevention experience of Botswana. Its strategy for dealing with drought and famine combines policies of steady economic growth with supplementary poverty alleviation and drought relief programs. To provide continuity and stabilization of market operations in times of distress, the country channels sufficient food through market chains, provides price support to preempt market collapse and augments the income of consumers through public income transfer programs to prevent demand failure. In addition, it maintains a responsive and accountable political system and a decentralized participatory administrative structure. While Sudan should develop policies that are compatible with its own environment, it is crucial that it recognizes the critical role of public action in promoting growth, alleviating poverty, and providing timely relief responses in times of anticipated growth failure.     

Conflict, the Continuum and Chronic Emergencies: A Critical Analysis of the Scope for Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Planning in Sudan

The concept of the ‘relief-to-development continuum’ has been the subject of renewed interest in recent years. Concerned by the rise in relief budgets over the past decade and the absolute fall in development aid resources, support has been growing for the concept of developmental relief. In the context of complex political emergencies, it has been argued further that as effective development aid can reduce vulnerability to the impact of natural hazards, so it might also be used to contribute to a process of conflict prevention. In this way, the concept of the relief-development continuum has become entwined with broader discussions about the contribution of official development assistance to conflict management. Drawing on a Review of Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), this paper cautions against uncritical application of the concept of the continuum in complex political emergencies, and of rehabilitation in particular, in the current Sudanese context. It argues that in order to move legitimately from relief aid programming to development aid programming, three fundamental conditions must be in place: first, a minimum level of security, respect for human rights and humanitarian access. Second, empirical evidence from the field needs to demonstrate that the emergency is over. Finally, moving from relief to development aid programming is contingent on donor governments accepting the legitimacy of national governmental structures and of the rebel movements. In other words, for donor governments, moving along the continuum is in significant part determined by foreign policy considerations, not only technical ones. Consideration needs to be given to the actual and perceived legitimation of the different movements that a move to rehabilitation might be seen to imply. The paper argues that none of these conditions had been satisfied in Sudan by mid-1997. Instead of a process of normalisation paving the way to long-term development, the current situation in Sudan is better described as a chronic political emergency. In such a context, uncritical pursuit of developmental strategies may negatively affect the welfare of conflict-affected populations.     

Malnutrition and Poverty in the Early Stages of Famine: North Darfur, 1988–90

In this article we report findings on the relationship between malnutrition and poverty during a period of acute food insecurity in Darfur, Sudan. Children of rich and poor families were equally likely to be malnourished, which is explained in terms of people's responses to the threat of famine. This finding has important implications for targeting interventions in the early stages of famine. Appropriate interventions at the early stages of famine are livelihood and income support to the most vulnerable. The entitlement theory of famine causation assumes that the poor are most vulnerable, and become malnourished and die during famines. In this article we show that this assumption does not hold. Even though poverty is the root cause of malnutrition, it does not follow that anthropometric status can be used to target individual poor families, or even that targeting the poor is appropriate in famine situations.     

Interrupting the balance: reconsidering the complexities of conflict in South Sudan

By the start of 2014, violent conflict had erupted across much of South Sudan following initial violence in Juba on 15 December 2013. The speed with which the fighting has spread raises questions regarding the impact of national‐level politics on violence at the local level. This article develops a framework in which violent conflict can be comprehended as a response to the interruption of the negotiation of the balance of power between groups; the negotiation is interrupted when that balance tips in favour of one group, such as through changes in the national political market or government reforms. The article provides two cases studies of attempts to strengthen the state that inadvertently interrupted local power relations between groups. In response, the groups engaged in violent conflict to reinstate a balance of power. Both examples involve conflict among Dinka groups from 2005 to 2008.     

区域综合公共安全管理模式及中国综合公共安全管理对策

中国政府将公共安全事件分为4大类,即自然灾害、事故灾难、公众卫生和社会安全。中国的公共安全管理体制包括在中央一级成立国务院应急管理办公室,以及针对上述4类公共安全问题相应组建的以管理自然灾害为主的国家减灾委员会;以管理事故灾难为主的国家安全生产委员会;以管理公共卫生为主的中国爱卫会和以管理社会治安为主的中央综合治理委员会。在地方政府一级,一般与中央有关公共安全管理体制的机构相对应,也相应组建了地方政府的应急管理办公室和上述4类的公共安全管理的委员会。此外,国家出台了各类公共安全管理的应急预案,并针对一些主要的公共安全因素,相继制定了一系列法律、规定和决定。由此可以认为,中国公共安全的管理体制是“以中央为主,中央与地方政府相互配合”。中国公共安全管理机制是中央与地方政府的相关部门,在灾前、灾中与灾后分别承担相应的责任,至今还没有一个政府部门就某一种公共安全因素承担全部的备灾、应急与恢复和重建任务。国家的公共安全管理战略一直是以“预防为主,防抗救相结合”,2003年SARS事件后,各级政府重视公共安全管理工作中应急管理体系的建设。文章提出了区域综合公共安全管理模式,即灾区政府、企业、社区在灾前备灾、灾中应急、灾后恢复与重建的减灾全过程中,形成一个有机的整体。在此模式的指导下,针对中国公共安全管理体制与机制中存在的问题,提出了进一步改进中国各级政府综合公共安全管理的对策：一是加大公共安全信息的及时公开力度,建立国家和地方公共安全信息共享体系;二是建立公共安全管理的纵向、横向与综合协调机制,全面提高各级政府的综合公共安全管理能力;三是从源头上降低公共安全事件的发生频率,建立发展规划的“风险”评价制度;四是鼓励非政府组织在综合公共安全管理中发挥作用,建立社区综合公共安全管理体系;五是大力提高减灾资源的利用效率与效益,建设区域综合风险防范关键技术示范基地。     

The social context of childcare practices and child malnutrition in Niger's recent food crisis

In 2004–05, Niger suffered a food crisis during which global attention focused on high levels of acute malnutrition among children. In response, decentralised emergency nutrition programmes were introduced into much of southern Niger. Child malnutrition, however, is a chronic problem and its links with food production and household food security are complex. This qualitative, anthropological study investigates pathways by which children are rendered vulnerable in the context of a nutritional 'emergency'. It focuses on household-level decisions that determine resource allocation and childcare practices in order to explain why practices apparently detrimental to children's health persist. Risk aversion, the need to maintain self-identity and status, and constrained decision making result in a failure to invest extra necessary resources ingrowth-faltering children. Understanding and responding to the social context of child malnutrition will help humanitarian workers to integrate their efforts more effectively with longer-term development programmes aimed at improving livelihood security.     

基于中美10所高校的应急管理核心知识体系的解释结构模型研究

应急管理涉及多学科、多领域,明确其核心知识体系可以为应急管理相关学科融合和发展提供基础。本文收集了中美两国10所高校15个本科专业225门专业课程,构建解释结构模型进行研究。结果显示：应急管理核心知识体系包括8大类：应急类、防灾减灾类、公共服务和社会管理类、安全生产类、国家安全类、法律类、公共卫生类和综合类。这8大类又分为18个小类,应急类包括为理论、技术方法和应用;防灾减灾类包括理论、过程和单灾种防范;公共服务和社会管理类包括理论与应用;安全生产类包括安全、健康和环境;国家安全类包括国土安全、恐怖主义和国际关系;公共卫生类包括心理和医疗救助;而法律类重在应急相关法律,综合类则表现为多个领域相结合。该体系的构建可以为应急管理相关学科研究提供知识基础,促进各学科领域在应急研究方面融合发展。     

Humanitarian Crises: What Determines the Level of Emergency Assistance? Media Coverage,Donor Interests and the Aid Business

This paper proposes a basic hypothesis that the volume of emergency assistance any humanitarian crisis attracts is determined by three main factors working either in conjunction or individually. First, it depends on the intensity of media coverage. Second, it depends on the degree of political interest, particularly related to security, that donor governments have in a particular region. Third, the volume of emergency aid depends on strength of humanitarian NGOs and international organisations present in a specific country experiencing a humanitarian emergency. The empirical analysis of a number of emergency situations is carried out based on material that has never been published before. The paper concludes that only occasionally do the media play a decisive role in influencing donors. Rather, the security interests of Western donors are important together with the presence and strength of humanitarian stakeholders, such as NGOs and international organisations lobbying donor governments.     

Ecological stress and political coercion in the Sudan

This article outlines the impact of state intervention on ecological relations in the Sudan. The establishment of large-scale mechanised agricultural schemes; population and livestock concentration around water sources; and the evolution of large urban centres with high demands for firewood and charcoal have all contributed to ecological degradation. These effects have been coupled with the use of coercive measures to displace traditional farmers and pastoralists from their lands in favour of large-scale farming schemes. The objectives of government policy have suffered a double retreat – from development to crisis management and from crisis management to the bare maintenance of compliance and order. The inability of the state to intervene on behalf of the victims of drought and famine has led to the use of coercion as the only means to legitimise its hold on power.     

Food Targeting in Darfur: Save the Children Fund's Programme in 1986*

Emergency food aid has usually, if at all, been targeted through feeding centres. In Darfur, Sudan, SCF targeted food aid to the population on the basis of comprehensive household data. The decision to use this approach was taken in 1986 following the failure of both feeding centres and general distribution to meet emergency needs in 1984/85. This report outlines the development of the food targeting system and the types of data used for making allocations. Further research is required in order to find solutions to questions raised by the experience, such as: How can NGOs and government authorities arrive at a definition of need which is acceptable to local government and donors?; What is the most practical method for implementing a targeted programme to a proportion of the population?; Should individuals be given assistance which will enable them to remain in non-productive areas?; and would direct market intervention, food for work, or cash distribution be a more effective and less disruptive form of emergency aid in famine areas?     

三论灾害防御能力的基本定义与特征

综合灾害防御能力评估已成为应急管理业务和研究的重要内容之一.在前期研究基础上,首先从近年来灾害系统的复杂性特征和应急管理的需求角度出发,对综合灾害防御能力进行了再理解,然后对现有灾害防御能力的多属性综合评估方法进行了梳理总结.以气象灾害为例,通过68项指标构建了我国综合气象灾害防御能力的6个单项指标体系,即制度适应能力...     

Food Security in Complex Emergencies: Enhancing Food System Resilience

This paper explores linkages between food security and crisis in different contexts, outlining the policy and institutional conditions needed to manage food security during a crisis and to rebuild the resilience of food systems in periods of relative peace. The paper reviews experiences over the past decade of countries in protracted crisis and draws lessons for national and international policy. It assesses the different alternatives on offer in fragile countries to address, for example, the disruption of institutional mechanisms and the decreasing level of support offered by international donors with respect to longer-term expectations. It proposes a Twin Track Approach to enhance food security resilience through specific policies for protracted crises that link immediate hunger relief interventions with a long-term strategy for sustainable growth. Finally, the article analyses policy options and the implications for both short- and longer-term responses vis-à-vis the three dimensions of food security: availability; access; and stability.     

Towards a politics of disaster response: presidential disaster instructions in China, 1998–2012

China's disaster management system contains no law‐based presidential disaster declarations; however, the national leader's instructions (pishi in Chinese) play a similar role to disaster declarations, which increase the intensity of disaster relief. This raises the question of what affects presidential disaster instructions within an authoritarian regime. This research shows that China's disaster politics depend on a crisis threshold system for operation and that the public and social features of disasters are at the core of this system. China's political cycle has no significant impact on disaster politics. A change in the emergency management system has a significant bearing on presidential disaster instructions, reflecting the strong influence of the concept of rule of law and benefiting the sustainable development of the emergency management system. In terms of disaster politics research, unlocking the black box of China's disaster politics and increasing the number of comparative political studies will benefit the development of empirical and theoretical study.     

Targeting the Vulnerable: A Review of the Necessity and Feasibility of Targeting Vulnerable Households

This article examines whether it is possible to target vulnerable households within a geographically defined area. It looks first at the justification for targeting and then reviews recent practical experience in actually trying to reach vulnerable groups. As complex emergencies increasingly last longer, strategies to target vulnerable households are common in the protracted phase of the emergency. While this is often necessary because of a decline in resources, it is not always justified by an improvement in nutritional status or food security of the beneficiary population.
Common target groups are the poor and the malnourished, but in complex emergencies these are not always the most vulnerable. Moreover, recent practical experience has shown considerable difficulties in targeting the poor. Methods to target the poor rely on community-based relief committees, whose priorities are not necessarily the same as those of external agencies. This paper gives examples of such targeted assistance programmes in Kenya, south Sudan and Tanzania. The paper concludes that situations where targeting vulnerable households is justified and feasible are extremely limited. It is suggested that if targeting has to be done because of scarce resources, this should be done on a geographical basis and on the basis of nutritional status. Case-study material shows that it is essential to understand the political determinants of vulnerability and to design methods that will reach the most vulnerable.     

Targeting the vulnerable: a review of the necessity and feasibility of targeting vulnerable households

This article examines whether it is possible to target vulnerable households within a geographically defined area. It looks first at the justification for targeting and then reviews recent practical experience in actually trying to reach vulnerable groups. As complex emergencies increasingly last longer, strategies to target vulnerable households are common in the protracted phase of the emergency. While this is often necessary because of a decline in resources, it is not always justified by an improvement in nutritional status or food security of the beneficiary population. Common target groups are the poor and the malnourished, but in complex emergencies these are not always the most vulnerable. Moreover, recent practical experience has shown considerable difficulties in targeting the poor. Methods to target the poor rely on community-based relief committees, whose priorities are not necessarily the same as those of external agencies. This paper gives examples of such targeted assistance programmes in Kenya, south Sudan and Tanzania. The paper concludes that situations where targeting vulnerable households is justified and feasible are extremely limited. It is suggested that if targeting has to be done because of scarce resources, this should be done on a geographical basis and on the basis of nutritional status. Case-study material shows that it is essential to understand the political determinants of vulnerability and to design methods that will reach the most vulnerable.     

Practical experience with the management of a cholera outbreak in a refugee cAMP in eastern Sudan, 1985

From May to November 1985 most refugee camps in Eastern Sudan were affected by cholera. This article summarizes the experience from the refugee camp Wad Sherife with the emphasis on the practical aspects of management of cholera in a refugee context. Paramedical personnel from the refugee community were used to a great extent both in curative and preventive measures. The home visitors played an important role in the early detection of the cases and in trying to prevent the spread of cholera in the camp. A total of 1793 cases were admitted during a three month period. The results show a case fatality rate of 1.8%. A significantly higher number of women were affected in the age group 15–44. As seen in other refugee camps in Eastern Sudan, there was a relatively high intravenous fluid consumption with an average of about 6 litres in adults.     

The future of humanitarian action: mapping the implications of Iraq and other recent crises

In late 2003 the Feinstein International Famine Center, in partnership with institutions in London, Geneva and Washington, organised a series of consultations on the future of humanitarian action post-Iraq. This article is based on those discussions. A number of recurring concerns are elaborated, ranging from the perception of humanitarianism as a Northern-driven and Northern-controlled enterprise, through the politicisation of security and the devaluation of the protective power of emblems, to the very nature of how the crisis in Iraq is perceived. The article explores the implications of such issues for humanitarian workers and their institutions. It concludes by framing an agenda for action by the humanitarian sector.     

The sexual and reproductive rights of internally displaced women: the embodiment of Colombia's crisis

As of 30 June 2006, more than 3.5 million Colombians are internally displaced persons (IDPs), the second largest IDP population in the world after that of Sudan. While most IDP studies treat the plight of internally displaced women (IDW) as an isolated phenomenon, this paper demonstrates that their situation reflects Colombia's chronic cultural, political and socio-economic crisis. This paper uses a sexual and reproductive rights framework to establish a connection between IDW and Colombia's culture of violence, discrimination and inequality. The effects of this culture of violence, discrimination and inequality are highlighted during a discussion of the rights to health, reproduction, privacy, physical integrity, education, and freedom from violence and sexual exploitation. This paper argues that a holistic understanding of Colombia's humanitarian emergency is essential to improving the lives of IDPs. It ends with some concrete, short-term recommendations to meet some of the needs of IDPs and other vulnerable populations.