In times of tensions and conflicts, it is not only international organizations and other states that intervene. Non-governmental organizations (NGO) are also involved. Each NGO has its own specific objectives and uses various methods to achieve them, but they are all guided by the same principles. They also have a common goal of providing humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of conflict victims.
When working in areas of tension and conflict, NGOs must remain neutral and impartial. It is very important that they respect these principles. A government can deny entry to an NGO if it does not remain neutral. NGOs operate within the borders of sovereign states, which have the right to govern themselves however they see fit. Furthermore, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) clearly states that, in conflict situations, only impartial and neutral NGOs may provide humanitarian aid.
In practical terms, a neutral NGO cannot take sides in a conflict. Similarly, an impartial NGO cannot help one party more than another. It must treat all victims of war equally, regardless of whether they are terrorists, armed militia soldiers or civilians.
NGOs must also be independent. They must not be tied to any state or group that could put them in a position to be corrupted. To avoid this, most NGOs are funded by private donations. Many NGOs are transparent about who their major donors are and give the public access to a list of these donors.
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit organization of citizens defending a cause and acting independently of governments.
NGOs use various methods to reduce the suffering of victims of conflicts. The primary methods include:
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Sending aid workers into the field. |
Transporting supplies to areas in need, such as medicine, food, materials for building wells. |
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Awareness campaigns to spread the word about the conditions faced by people living in areas of tension and/or conflict. |
Fundraising campaigns to raise money to help people living in areas of tension and/or conflict. |
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YouTube Channel: Reporters Without Borders |
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Interesting fact |
Each year since 2002, the RSF has published the World Press Freedom Index. It analyzes the degree of freedom that journalists have in 180 countries. (Are they independent? Are they safe? Are there enough of them to provide accurate and diverse information?) A score between 0 and 15 points means that the situation is good, while a score between 55.01 and 100 points indicates a very serious situation. |
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Interesting fact |
OXFAM has a strong presence in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, where millions of civilians are directly threatened by conflict. Their lives and living conditions are in danger, since conflict often leads to poverty, violence, inequality and famine. |
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Protect and defend human rights |
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YouTube Channel: HRW |
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Interesting fact |
On the HRW website, you can search by topic or by country. This way you can easily learn about areas of tension and conflict around the world, and how human rights are being violated. Topics such as counterterrorism, children’s rights, women’s rights, crises and conflict, the environment, freedom of speech and torture make this site a goldmine of international information. |
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Provide emergency medical assistance during humanitarian crises (conflicts, pandemics, epidemics, natural disasters) |
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As of May 27, 2020, the DWB had 99 operations in 74 different countries, with 38 000 personnel on the ground. |
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Provide aid to people affected by humanitarian crises |
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Official Canadian Red Cross website: Red Cross |
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Interesting fact |
As of May 2020, the Canadian Red Cross has been responding to the refugee crisis in Myanmar as well as the crisis in Syria. It also provided material, financial and human support to Canadians during the Covid-19 pandemic. |
These NGOs are not the only organizations that take action during global tensions and conflicts. Others include Amnesty International, Agir ensemble pour les droits humains, Doctors of the World, International Medical Corps, Première Urgence Internationale, Action Against Hunger, etc.
International NGOs work in many countries and often have administrative offices there. This is why Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross, for example, have one website for their Canadian division, another for their French division, and so on. The information provided often overlaps from country to country, but local information is also added. This facilitates better access to information because it is translated and adapted to the specific country in which the administrative office is located.
In the event of an internal armed conflict, international humanitarian law (IHL) applies. This is a set of rules created to protect people who are not participating in combat during wartime. It aims to protect civilians and combatants who are no longer directly involved in the hostilities, such as prisoners of war. IHL has different provisions depending on whether an armed conflict is international or domestic. War crimes, genocides and crimes against humanity are serious breaches of IHL. These crimes fall under international criminal law and are tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A crime against humanity is a deliberate violation of the fundamental rights of an individual or a group of individuals for political, philosophical, racial or religious reasons.
Acts such as murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and torture are examples of crimes against humanity.
A war crime is a violation of the laws of war committed against civilians or adversaries.
A genocide is the intentional and organized extermination of an ethnic, religious or social group. It is a crime against humanity under international law.
IHL was created by the International Committee of the Red Cross. It stipulates that NGOs must remain neutral, impartial and independent when intervening in areas of tension and conflict. In addition to protecting life and dignity and providing aid to the victims of armed conflicts, the International Committee of the Red Cross must ensure that the rules of IHL are respected and continue to contribute to its content.
More often than not, IHL and human rights are violated during conflicts. Because conflicts have considerable negative impacts on civilian lives, they often create humanitarian emergencies.
A humanitarian emergency is one or more events occurring over a large area that threatens the health, safety or well-being of a group of people.
What does it mean for people who are facing a humanitarian emergency due to armed conflict?
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Impact of conflicts on civilians |
Examples |
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Their lives are threatened |
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They experience acts of extreme violence |
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They are forced to flee their home, sometimes even their country |
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They face famine and poverty |
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Refugee camps are essential and NGOs manage the logistics of setting them up, including making sure they are safe, supplying food and water, etc.
When these situations arise, NGOs are there to provide aid and raise global awareness. They play a very important role, and their actions save thousands of lives.
Ladouceur, Maude et collab. Globe, 2014.