The Politics of Protection : The Limits of Humanitarian Action

" For the past decade, humanitarian actors have increasingly sought not only to assist people affected by conflicts and natural disasters, but also to protect them. At the same time, protection of civilians has become central to UN peacekeeping operations, and the UN General Assembly has endorsed the principle that the international community has the ""responsibility to protect"" people when their governments cannot or will not do so. Elizabeth Ferris explores the evolution of the international community's understandings of protection, with a particular emphasis on the humanitarian community. ""Protection"" is a noble word, with positive connotations, but what does it actually mean in practice? Does providing assistance to vulnerable people protect them, for example? Does monitoring the number of rapes protect women? Does increased engagement in protection activities by humanitarian agencies jeopardize the cornerstone humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality? In The Politics of Protection , Ferris examines inconsistent ways in which protection is defined and applied. For example, why do certain groups receive international protection while other equally needy groups do not? Her case studies, ranging from Iraq to Katrina, illustrate the challengesand limitationsof protecting vulnerable populations from the ravages of war and natural disasters. Ferris argues that the protection paradigms currently in use are inadequate to meet the challenges of the future, such as climate change, protracted displacement, and the changing nature of warfare. " Copyright Information ......Page 5 Table of Contents ......Page 8 Acknowledgments ......Page 10 Introduction ......Page 12 Humanitarian Principles and International Law ......Page 22 Human Rights and Protection ......Page 61 Protection and Humanitarian Assistance: Communities and Governments ......Page 83 The UN and NGOs in Humanitarian Operations ......Page 112 Global Governance ......Page 147 Humanitarian Dilemmas......Page 195 Natural Disasters and Protection......Page 221 Paying for Protection: Humanitarian Financing ......Page 249 Future Challenges for Humanitarian Actors ......Page 266 Concluding Observations and Recommendations ......Page 291 Notes ......Page 308 Index ......Page 366 Back Cover ......Page 383 "Examines the evolution of the international community's understanding and commitment to the concept of 'humanitarian protection,' focusing on the inconsistencies inherent in responses from Rwanda to Katrina in order to demonstrate the challenges and limitations of protecting future vulnerable populations from war and natural disasters"--Provided by publisher. "Examines the evolution of the international community's understanding and commitment to the concept of 'humanitarian protection, ' focusing on the inconsistencies inherent in responses from Rwanda to Katrina in order to demonstrate the challenges and limitations of protecting future vulnerable populations from war and natural disasters"--Del editor