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| Blurred lines: who should lead post-crisis recovery? | Blurred lines: who should lead post-crisis recovery? |
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| When is a crisis officially over and whose responsibility is it to drive recovery when it ends? How do you ensure gaps and overlaps do not appear when humanitarian assistance withdraws and development begins? And if the two processes are defined not only by their objectives, but by their place on a timeline, how short is 'short term' when humanitarian organisations continue to operate in certain contexts for years? | When is a crisis officially over and whose responsibility is it to drive recovery when it ends? How do you ensure gaps and overlaps do not appear when humanitarian assistance withdraws and development begins? And if the two processes are defined not only by their objectives, but by their place on a timeline, how short is 'short term' when humanitarian organisations continue to operate in certain contexts for years? |
| While none of the above questions are new, finding appropriate, context-specific answers remains problematic. The distinction between humanitarian assistance and development has implications beyond simply prescribing a timetable for intervention, it influences financing mechanisms, programme design and implementation, as well as how development actors define themselves, interact with each other, local government and civil society partners and the communities they serve. | While none of the above questions are new, finding appropriate, context-specific answers remains problematic. The distinction between humanitarian assistance and development has implications beyond simply prescribing a timetable for intervention, it influences financing mechanisms, programme design and implementation, as well as how development actors define themselves, interact with each other, local government and civil society partners and the communities they serve. |
| On the one hand, it seems the line we have drawn in the sand is too deep: distinguishing two separate objectives has produced organisational and budgetary 'silos'. As a recent Cafod report (pdf) puts it: "Widespread institutional segmentation among international actors leaves little space for supporting organisations and activities – including institutional capacity building and support – in the grey zone between crisis response and development." On the other hand, the distinction appears to be blurring as more people speak of a humanitarian development 'continuum'. Still, there remains certain situations – dealing with refugees and internally displaced people, for example – that defy neat categorisation. | On the one hand, it seems the line we have drawn in the sand is too deep: distinguishing two separate objectives has produced organisational and budgetary 'silos'. As a recent Cafod report (pdf) puts it: "Widespread institutional segmentation among international actors leaves little space for supporting organisations and activities – including institutional capacity building and support – in the grey zone between crisis response and development." On the other hand, the distinction appears to be blurring as more people speak of a humanitarian development 'continuum'. Still, there remains certain situations – dealing with refugees and internally displaced people, for example – that defy neat categorisation. |
| So what should be done? Could the answer be as simple as changing the way interventions are financed? A report from the European Parliament on lessons from Chad, Haiti and Afghanistan suggests flexible financing mechanisms may facilitate a more systematic and linked-up response between relief and development. Would better communication and coordination cut it? Or faced with rising humanitarian needs, is it time for a more radical rethink of humanitarian and development boundaries? | So what should be done? Could the answer be as simple as changing the way interventions are financed? A report from the European Parliament on lessons from Chad, Haiti and Afghanistan suggests flexible financing mechanisms may facilitate a more systematic and linked-up response between relief and development. Would better communication and coordination cut it? Or faced with rising humanitarian needs, is it time for a more radical rethink of humanitarian and development boundaries? |
| Where do you think a line should be drawn? Join us online from 1-3pm BST on Thursday, 12 September, to share your expertise and opinions. If you would like to be on the panel, send an email to globaldevpros@theguardian.com. | |
| The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). If you are unable to get online on Thursday, email your views to globaldevpros@theguardian.com or follow our tweets using the hashtag #globaldevlive | The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). If you are unable to get online on Thursday, email your views to globaldevpros@theguardian.com or follow our tweets using the hashtag #globaldevlive |
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