How can aid workers help war victims without falling prey to, or becoming complicit with, their persecutors?
Humanitarian organisations have an ambiguous relationship with the violence of war. Seeking to relieve its severity, they contribute to its continuation to varying degrees while subjecting themselves to becoming targets. This collection of studies explores the way aid workers attempt to “humanise” war and face the risk of becoming victims of or complicit in the war.
![Despite appeals for patience by the humanitarian agencies, 600.000 kosovars had returned to their shattered province within three weeks of the signature of the peace plan.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF4894%28High%29%20%282%29.jpg?itok=tkBFZi7a)
Violence against Kosovar Albanians NATO’s intervention 1998-1999
06/23/2014This case study describes the constraints and dilemmas facing Médecins Sans Frontières teams that witnessed a process of terror and expulsion which they described as the ‘deportation' of Kosovar Albanians by Serb forces.
![Despite appeals for patience by the humanitarian agencies, 600.000 kosovars had returned to their shattered province within three weeks of the signature of the peace plan.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF4894%28High%29%20%282%29.jpg?itok=tkBFZi7a)
Violence against Kosovar Albanians NATO’s intervention 1998-1999
06/23/2014This case study describes the constraints and dilemmas facing Médecins Sans Frontières teams that witnessed a process of terror and expulsion which they described as the ‘deportation' of Kosovar Albanians by Serb forces.
![One of more than 7.000 mostly Hutu inmates at the overcrowded Gitarama prison stares out from behind the bars. Some 120 inmates were transferred by the UN in an effort to try to relieve overcrowding.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF5085%28High%29.jpg?itok=Zp_s8IBR)
The violence of the new Rwandan regime 1994-1995
04/03/2014This case study is describing the difficulties and dilemmas that Médecins Sans Frontières faced in 1994 and 1995 when confronted with the abuses and crimes of the new regime that had taken over in Rwanda in July 1994.
![As a result of heavy fighting between RPF Tutsi rebels and the gouvernment army of Rwanda, a million hutu refugees fled to Zaire within a few days.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF34480%28High%29.jpg?itok=o_YW5-Fq)
Rwandan Refugee Camps in Zaire and Tanzania 1994-1995
04/03/2014This case study is describing the constraints and dilemmas met by MSF when confronted with camps under the tight control of "refugee leaders" responsible for the genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis from April to June 1994.
![Génocide des Rwandais tutsis Kigali. L’equipe MSF brûle des cartes MSF. Sur la photo Rene Caravielhe, logisticien pour MSF.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF46941%28High%29_0.jpg?itok=tZl0ZLmv)
Genocide of Rwandan Tutsi 1994
04/03/2014This case study is describing the difficulties and dilemmas met by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) during the genocide of Rwandan Tutsis in April, May and June 1994.
![After days of heavy fighting between Hutu and Tutsi rebels, many Hutu refugees are on the run for the continuing violence.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF34575%28High%29.jpg?itok=3ob-5YlK)
The Hunting and Killing of Rwandan Refugees in Zaire-Congo: 1996-1997
04/03/2014The ‘Hunting and killings of the Rwandan refugee in Zaire/Congo' case study is describing the constraints and dilemmas faced by Médecins Sans Frontières' teams in 1996 and 1995 when trying to bring assistance to the Rwandan refugees in Eastern Zaire.
![One of more than 7.000 mostly Hutu inmates at the overcrowded Gitarama prison stares out from behind the bars. Some 120 inmates were transferred by the UN in an effort to try to relieve overcrowding.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF5085%28High%29.jpg?itok=Zp_s8IBR)
The violence of the new Rwandan regime 1994-1995
04/03/2014This case study is describing the difficulties and dilemmas that Médecins Sans Frontières faced in 1994 and 1995 when confronted with the abuses and crimes of the new regime that had taken over in Rwanda in July 1994.
![As a result of heavy fighting between RPF Tutsi rebels and the gouvernment army of Rwanda, a million hutu refugees fled to Zaire within a few days.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF34480%28High%29.jpg?itok=o_YW5-Fq)
Rwandan Refugee Camps in Zaire and Tanzania 1994-1995
04/03/2014This case study is describing the constraints and dilemmas met by MSF when confronted with camps under the tight control of "refugee leaders" responsible for the genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis from April to June 1994.
![After days of heavy fighting between Hutu and Tutsi rebels, many Hutu refugees are on the run for the continuing violence.](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2021-05/MSF34575%28High%29.jpg?itok=3ob-5YlK)
The Hunting and Killing of Rwandan Refugees in Zaire-Congo: 1996-1997
04/03/2014The ‘Hunting and killings of the Rwandan refugee in Zaire/Congo' case study is describing the constraints and dilemmas faced by Médecins Sans Frontières' teams in 1996 and 1995 when trying to bring assistance to the Rwandan refugees in Eastern Zaire.