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publications

War and Humanitarianism

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.

Des réfugiés du Darfour sont installés sous un abri Inconnu Analysis

Humanitarian dilemmas in Darfur

07/01/2008 Fabrice Weissman

With 13,000 humanitarian workers and a hundred relief agencies, Darfur hosts the largest humanitarian operation in the world. The aid apparatus started its full deployment in mid-2004 in a context of acutely high mortality among internally displaced persons (IDPs) gathered in camps and civilians remaining in rural areas. 

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Un camp de réfugiés à Yida Yann Libessart Cahier

Humanitarian action in situations of occupation

01/01/2007 Xavier Crombé

This Cahier du CRASH by Xavier Crombé combines a study of the experience and positions of MSF vis-à-vis occupation contexts since the 1980s, and the minutes of a talk organised by the 'Fondation MSF' in January 2006 on "Humanitarian action in situations of occupation". 

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Char d'assaut au Burundi Helmut Wachter Analysis

Independance and security

12/05/2006 Xavier Crombé

MSF is an independent organisation that carefully protects its autonomy. In this article, Xavier Crombé draws the connection between this founding principle and the issue of security for humanitarian actors.

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Un soldat devant une église au Congo Pep Bonet Analysis

Child Soldiers in Africa: A singular Phenomenon?

01/01/2006 Jean-Hervé Jézéquel

The much publicized figure of the child soldier in Africa is placed in context in this historiographical survey: the author ties it to the general subject of children in war – which has affected America and Europe at different times – and reveals the necessity of developing a history of child status in Africa.

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