Overview Aid is an industry that has mushroomed over the last 20 years. As protracted internal conflicts have become more common and more acrimonious, and as the nature of conflict has changed, the impact on civilians has multiplied. Post-Cold War conflicts have caused over 5 million casualties, and 95 per cent of these have been civilians. In 2001 it was estimated that 35 million people were affected in different ways by conflict worldwide. USAID figures show that civil wars are the second highest cause of disaster declarations, with 131 civil war-related disasters declared in the 1990s. According to Kofi Annan, increasingly, “the main aim…[of conflicts]… is the destruction not of armies but of civilians and entire ethnic groups.” Both rebel groups and governments often specifically target civilians as a means to achieving their aims, be it through destruction of property and infrastructure, displacement, ethnic cleansing, or recruitment into their forces. These disturbing developments have necessitated greater levels of external intervention into conflicts. Such intervention takes the form of political or military action but also of extensive humanitarian relief efforts and, after the conflict has ended, development assistance to rebuild war-torn countries. This section discusses the role and effectiveness of humanitarian aid in alleviating the effects of conflict. It will first outline the basic aims and technical aspects of humanitarian aid, what it consists of and the actors involved. It will illustrate the way in which external assistance becomes involved in situations of conflict, rather than being merely an outside player. In examining this and some of the other key challenges and problems associated with humanitarian aid, it will also look at how these are being addressed by the aid community. What It Involves Conflicts adversely affect civilians in a number of ways, both directly and as a result of the medium to long-term fallout from conflict. A look at mortality figures following emergencies shows that the greatest number of deaths usually occurs not immediately but as a result of so-called ‘complex emergencies’, or ‘slow onset crises’, occurring over a protracted period of months. In the immediate area of conflict the primary aim is preventing human casualties and ensuring that populations have access to the basics for survival: water and sanitation; food supplies; shelter and blankets; and healthcare. Those that manage to escape the crisis zone often have to flee their homes and cities in order to survive, thus becoming displaced. Providing for these people’s basic survival needs is greatly complicated if they are dispersed, and they are often accommodated in refugee or IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps. Away from the main fighting, the priority is to assist the displaced, prevent the spread of conflict by reinforcing human rights and security, and support relief work and prepare for rehabilitation. Caveats As humanitarian interventions increase in number, many lessons have been learnt regarding the role of aid and how to improve its effectiveness. It has become increasingly clear that aid is not a panacea. Although externally driven, humanitarian aid inevitably takes on a role within the conflict and in societies that it is helping. Thus, assistance has the potential to promote, as well as to prevent, conflict. Criticisms of external assistance also focus on the fact that aid is used as a substitute for decisive political action that would prevent humanitarian crises. Much work has been done both to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian relief and to minimize potentially negative consequences. Conclusion While many writers correctly point out the harm that humanitarian aid and development assistance has done in certain situations, and the political failures that it masks, ultimately aid plays a crucial role in saving lives, and a role that can be continually improved as lessons are learnt and implemented. Humanitarian aid is not a solution to the problems of countries facing conflict, and recognition of this is an important part of dealing with conflicts and their fallout. As a delegate of the Red Cross in Bosnia was reputed to say during the war there, humanitarian aid agencies can only hope to “bring a measure of humanity, always insufficient, into situations that should not exist.” | 
