The Effects of Humanitarian Ngos On The Developing World

EFFECTS OF HUMANITATIAN NGOS ON DEVELOPING WORLD
The Effects of Humanitarian NGOs on the Developing World

Tyler Bryant
Global Connections
Mr. Falls
12/6/15

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Abstract
In the face of natural disasters, conflicts and other crises, there is a strong need for a quick and
ready response to anything that is being thrown toward them. That response is usually carried out
by the men and women operating as and with humanitarian non-governmental organizations;
working to ensure the perseverance of human life and good morals. Irony exists in the fact that
these aid organizations themselves require aid in order to stay relevant. Money is the blood in the
veins of these organizations and can be the sole reason a few good people with good intentions
fail to keep in operation and halfhearted do-nothings that stay on top.
The world of NGOs is a scary and difficult place to begin in. There are plenty of things that
can go wrong with even the noblest of intentions. From the threats from numerous outside
sources to indirect butterfly effects that can bring a region to its knees. These effects can also
lead to a flourishing of the social, economic and political conditions of the region. In a rather in
depth analysis, the merit and value of these organizations will be measured and judged by their
overall usefulness and impact on the developing world.

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Table of Contents
Introduction
pg. 4
Limitations and Methodology.
pg. 5
Main Body...
pg. 6-11
Conclusion...
pg. 11-12
Appendices
pg. 13-15
References
pg. 16-18

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Introduction
With every passing tragedy and crisis that occurs in the modern global society, many men,
women and children suffer immense loss that can lead to further loss or turmoil. Many of these
people cannot find respite from the chaos or cannot reach aid from any source. Fortunately, there
have been many organizations established that work to grant help to those in need. In many
situations, relief aid is either not supported or not backed with enough resources and effort.
These humanitarian organizations, albeit costly, are the most effective way to bring about
progress to crises in more developing regions.
One of the many important questions regarding relief programs is the overall cost of starting
and maintaining a humanitarian organization. Another topic of discussion involves the dangers of
working with these groups and what has been done by other non-governmental organizations to
assist in promoting the success of these relief programs. There are many times in which these
organizations have been caught in the crossfires of the actual conflict. This is a major issue given
the good work these people do nearly every day for the people that need it the most. These
organizations operate in nearly every field. From Syria, to Afghanistan, and even places like
India or central America, these good people work to provide medical care, food and other things
that are almost essential to survival. Although these organizations are important, if they are
established poorly, without proper care put into it, these organizations can provide no real
assistance to in-need regions.

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This rarely touched upon subject addresses many points for discussion in modern society such
as the importance of international welfare, humanitarian organizations' impact on conflict
resolution and the necessity of such programs in developing and even more developed states.
Limitations and Methodology

While collecting research for this project, many stipulations and limitations have been produced
which will prove to make a definite impact on the conclusions and points made. The majority of
what information could be found, was drawn from previous articles regarding NGOs &
humanitarian organizations, information pages from NGO web pages and from the works of
authors who have some sort of grasp of the field. Most of the data gathered will be essentially
quantitative with established humanitarian camps and cases treated being the units of measure.
Sources will be scanned for usable information then cited and quoted. Most information cited
will pertain to either pure statistics or any specifically interesting points of discussion. Many of
the authors from sources cited are experts in fields relating to international issues or NonGovernmental Organizations.
These resources for the most part have a bias in support of humanitarian organizations,
supporting the idea that NGOs are necessary for the furthered improvement of lesser developed
states. Likewise, the interview that will be conducted as original research will be with a member
from Operation Smile, a humanitarian organization, thereby leading to a possibly biased
outcome. There are however, some articles that point out the negative sides and shortcomings of
current humanitarian organizations. The limitations brought about from the collected research
includes the lack of firsthand data gathering aside from databases and preexisting information.

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Traveling to numerous regions under aid of NGOs to collect quantitative data is simple
implausible. The present information can only go so far when there is also only about two
months to accrue information, leaving this paper to be a little lean in terms of information,
having a minimum of twenty sources.
Body
Non-Governmental Humanitarian Organizations serve many vital roles in the development and
safeguarding of developing regions. The operations undertaken by many unique and differing
organizations allows for quick responses to numerous crises or even more effective development
of struggling regions. The extent of their aid, however, varies based upon the funding they have
at disposal as well as the aid they themselves receive from bigger organizations. The aid
humanitarian organizations deliver onto the regions they are trying to help can consequently lead
to even further problems in numerous forms and lead to an even more destabilized region.
History
Humanitarian aid has existed for quite some time, dating back to the 1870s in china when
British missionaries responded to a drought-caused famine that killed many people in the
north(Janku).
Aid has been utilized in many different times of strife and unrest such as the Ethiopian famine in
1980, the Yugoslavian breakup and its subsequent turmoil in the early 2000s, continuing even
now in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and many other regions. These organizations are typically
backed and safeguarded by state governments, allowing for more extensive operation.
Non-Governmental Organizations are neither part of a government or conventional business that
may be funded by governments, foundations, businesses or individuals. Compared to other

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groups, NGOs have the ability to remain neutral in the face of multiple conflicting parties and act
as a force for the greater good.
Funding
The ways in which an NGO's budget is partitioned into four sectors(fundsforNGOs):
Core Costs
Capital Costs
Operational Costs
Staff Costs
Each of these costs vary in importance from organization to organization, with each cost being
more or less necessary to each. Core costs consist mainly of office maintenance; mainly anything
that would help in running office administration, meetings (staff, governance, etc.), and
telecommunication. These costs are near essential for any upcoming NGO with a respectable
headquarters. Humanitarian organizations can't rely solely on volunteer workers when
conducting operations and as such, will require funds to go towards the salaries of their staff, as
well as money that goes to consultants and other outside assistance. Capital Costs allow for all
sorts of investments that allow for whatever aid or means to spread it needed. Things like trucks
and fuel, water and food or whatever technological necessities are covered under these costs.
Even the organization's headquarters counts under this subsection. Lastly are the costs of
operation; the funding needed to provide any help whatsoever to regions that are suffering or in
need. Costs range from organizing aid camps, meeting with villages, campaigns or even basic
training for locals.
Normally these costs are substantially high, requiring NGOs to either pay out of pocket or
seek financing from other sources. An example of an NGO's budget can be shown from the

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financial statements (Appendix1, Gens for Peace). The average annual spending is mainly
focused on paying staff and operational costs which go up near to a million USD. An NGO
would be having to cover these costs somehow every year. As also seen from the statement
again, NGO's rely mainly on donations or from successful investments with monetary returns.
Governmental donors typically make up more than half an organization's funding with
commercial partners and investments trailing behind at about an eighth. Knowing this, there is
also understanding what portion of a donation actually goes toward research/operation/program
delivery. From a data graph on Generation's for Peace's website (Appendix 2), about 21% of any
donation goes into meeting the costs of anything not related to operational or capital costs. Of
course, there exists a bit of variability between each NGO's percentages and numbers. These
values are generally within the same range for other similar organizations. Some NGO's value
profits over helping others or they simply need more and more resources to function.
Effects
Humanitarian aid has a vast and varied assortment of options to make impacts on the
developing world. As seen from the evolution of conflict graphic, the humanitarian assistance put
in by NGOs and similar groups has a direct correlation to the betterment or worsening of a
conflict (Appendix 3). In many ways, Humanitarian assistance is akin to a double edged sword;
the impacts they make can both lead to a lessening or worsening of conflicts. Examples include
the legitimization effect that is common with humanitarian operations. The legitimization effect
occurs from the aid being given used as a means of legitimizing people and actions as well as delegitimize others. This can cause other states to conduct interventions such as an attempt to
depose an unjust leader, leading to conflict and even more assistance necessary, or provide aid to
the organizations at work/ begin giving aid themselves (role and potential of humanitarian).

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Another example is humanitarian aid's effect on local markets. Aid impacts the economy of
whatever state it works within; this can cause changes in the price of goods, the salaries of
workers and the profits of businesses. This can also lead to the bolstering of wartime spending on
weapons and munitions normal peacetime activities that can positively benefit the region.
Humanitarian NGOs have an important goal of promoting a self-sufficiency in the region
following an exit of the organizations. Humanitarian aid may also be the crucial hinge to
preventing or ending a statewide famine through agricultural rehabilitation and promoting
livestock health. NGOs can also spread awareness of diseases and educate locals on prevention
methods in the midst of an outbreak (Hoffman, Roberts, Et al., Appendix 4). Some NGOs even
have specialized training programs to create local medical physicians in order to empower
communities (operation smile). NGOs can even provide simpler things such as food stuffs, water
bottles, and medicines that can be distributed amongst the in-need populations. Not only that, but
there have been plans designed to promote economic and social development such as the SAPRI
(Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative) from 1997 that allowed for economic
reform through many institutions(Makoba).
One of the more accurate ways to determine the impact of an NGO on a developing region or
region at risk is by the number of cases treated, number of established camps or by units of
goods distributed. As a sample of NGO impact, Operation Smile, a surgical NGO based on
operating on children that have cleft lips or cleft palettes, will be utilized with the source dating
back to 2007(Simpson). In Vietnam alone, Operation Smile performed 2,000 successful
operations on children and trained 1,000 medical professionals. The NGO had plans to establish
medical centers in Honduras, China, India, the Philippines, Morocco and Columbia. From this
source, they state that over 60% of all Operation Smile workers are volunteers, which signals the

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necessity of cost efficiency in NGOs.
There are also many ways in which aid provided to a region can lead to a worsening of
situations even with good intentions. An example of this comes from the distribution of supplies.
Many times, the aid is distributed to a specific group, leaving others in the wayside. This sort of
schism can lead to worsened tensions between groups, especially when there were preexisting
racial/ethnic divisions as well, possibly starting conflicts in addition to a famine (role and
potential of humanitarian). Many times, gangs or even standing armies will band together to
commandeer the aid dispensed, only further galvanizing a region by directly like feeding troops
or indirectly, through selling aid for weapons supporting their war effort. Humanitarian aid can
also be used as an excuse and crutch for the state government, causing the failure of a state, once
the NGO has exited the region. Especially in the cases of conflict, providing food aid to noncombatants may be well and good, but the conflict will persist around them which can lead to
something known as the specter of the well fed dead, wherein the people being aided are
vulnerable to belligerence and may result in dead refugees or relief workers, which is a clear and
present issue amongst humanitarian organizations as a sign of incompetence. (Branczik). NGOs
can too be a target of belligerence by terrorist organizations or even government attacks.
Another threat to the credibility of NGOs is the corruption of these organizations into
something known as a Briefcase NGO, a sort of organization that exists only through its
proposals and mission statements (Lee). These organizations will do nothing more than garner
funding from western donors and let the higher-ups pocket whatever they get. These
organizations may act as if they are making some impact, but in reality they are profiting off the
sympathy of others. As stated before, funding is essential to running an organization and making
a difference, so when NGOs become short of money, they all flock to the current big issue in

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humanitarian aid in order to attract donor attention. This can cause NGOs with any sort of
expertise to begin chasing funding by committing to actions impossible to them. This would be
similar to Doctors Without Borders focusing heavily on education in Mathare. By them not being
able to meet any of their promises, they unwittingly become one of these briefcase organizations,
leeching resources from donors that could be going to other, more reputable organizations.
Relevant Events
Fall 2015 held many surprising events, none of which, come close to the relevance of the US
bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, which left at least 22
dead and many more with terrible injuries. Many wish to consider this act a war crime, given the
protected status that hospitals of all sorts have under humanitarian laws. The claim by the US
that the facility was under attack seems to be enough to justify the bombing as a means to an end,
despite the lives lost in the process and charges may never be pressed by anyone due to
this(Mackay).
The fact that the UN was unable to keep providing aid due to a lack of funding to its
humanitarian programs in 2014 is a clear cut sign to how absolutely vital funding is to any
organization planning to work towards developmental goals. Even the interstate organization
operated by half of the world arent immune to budget cuts and operating costs. This may be
used as a cause for alarm and a call to attention the surprisingly high price for admission into
humanitarian work(Nebehay).
Conclusion
Humanitarian NGOs prove themselves as a use to the developing world, but without proper
planning and organization, good intentions will go awry, leading to even worse situations.
Without some sort of planning committee or board to regulate and protect the interests of these

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NGOs. Another need of humanitarian organizations is the necessity of funding amongst all of
them. Without a doubt there is a definite ability for change in the world, however, with the everpresent threats of corruption, terror attacks and a loss of funding, the NGO universe is a scary
place to exist in.
There are too many ways in which beneficial plans lead to a galvanizing of conflicts among
other things. Aid can be re-purposed into fuel to the metaphorical fire with a constant threat to
the organizations and the people they're helping. The aid itself may also only be temporary, not
granting any long-term development to those regions in need. The organizations at hand could
just as easily become a briefcase NGO or leave the dead well fed.
A proposed solution would be to grant easier funding access to NGOs so as to allow them
more reign on their own operations instead of frantically searching for the next big buzzword to
latch onto for cash. In order to prevent this from being abused, there needs to be an organization,
possibly a UN based one, that monitors and regulates each and every NGO for abuse and
laundering of funds. Without this, the easy access funds would be utilized by suitcase NGOs for
even more profit going straight into the pockets of their executives. This bureau could even give
incentives to upstanding organizations that make the biggest impact in a region as a way to
promote competition and lead to an even healthier market for NGOs.
Non-Governmental Organizations have proven to have both ups and downs as with nearly
everything in the contemporary world, what matters most is the direction they will head and the
impact they will and can make on the developing world with whatever they have and whatever
they can give.

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Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2

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Appendix 3
Appendix 4

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References
Aptekar, L. (2010). In the lions mouth: Hope and heartbreak in humanitarian assistance. S.l.:
Xlibris.
As Syrias armed conflict grows, WHO aid to the region is unrelenting. (2015, September).
Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.who.int/features/2015/who-aid-syrians/en/
Branczik, A. (2004, February). Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance | Beyond
Intractability. Retrieved October 05, 2015, from
http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/humanitarian-aid
Generations for Peace comission financial statements. (2014). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from
http://www.generationsforpeace.org/en/pass-it-on/reports/
History & Principles. (2013, November 13). Retrieved October 05, 2015, from
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/about-us/history-principles
Hoffman, C., Roberts, L., Shoham, J., & Harvey, P. (n.d.). Measuring the impact of humanitarian
aid. Retrieved from http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinionfiles/281.pdf
How IMR Works. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from

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https://www.internationalmedicalrelief.org/about-imr/how-imr-works/
Janku, A. (2002). "The North-China Famine of 1876-1879: Performance and Impact of a NonEvent." In: Measuring Historical Heat: Event, Performance, and Impact in China and the West
(pp. 127-134).
Lee, E. (2014, May 2). Does foreign aid make NGOs corrupt? Retrieved November 17, 2015,
from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/may/01/aidlocal-ngos-dishonest-development
Mackay, M. (2016, September 30). Is U.S. bombing of Afghan hospital a war crime? Retrieved
October 8, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/asia/kunduz-hospital-bombing-warcrime/
Makoba, J. W. (2002, March/April). Global Policy Forum. Retrieved November 17, 2015, from
https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/177/31620.html
Medical Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 05, 2015, from
http://www.operationsmile.org/content/medical-programs
Nebehay, S. (2014, April 07). U.N. Has To Cut Syria Food Aid For Lack Of Donor Funds.
Retrieved October 10, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/07/un-cut-syriaaid_n_5105080.html
Perrin, P. (1998, June 30). The impact of humanitarian aid on conflict development. Retrieved
from https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jpcj.htm
Physicians for Peace. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2016, from
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Relief on wheels: Research cuts costs of humanitarian aid. (2015, April 22). Retrieved from
http://research.wpcarey.asu.edu/supply-chain/relief-on-wheels-research-cuts-costs-of-

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humanitarian-aid/
The role and potential of Humanitarian aid and development organisations : Characters, goals,
activities, outcomes and impact. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.irenees.net/bdf_fiche-analyse669_en.html
Schenkenberg van Mierop, E. (2004, February 01). UNHCR and NGOs: Competitors or
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http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/unhcr-and-ngos-competitors-or-companions-refugeeprotection
Simpson, E. (2007, March 20). Operation Smile to open clinic in Vietnam to treat face
deformities. Retrieved November 19, 2015, from
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Types of Costs to be included in the Budget - Funds for NGOs. (2011, September 18). Retrieved
from https://www.fundsforngos.org/budget-for-ngos/types-costs-included-budget/

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EFFECTS OF HUMANITATIAN NGOS ON DEVELOPING WORLD