Is Humanitarianism Part of the Problem? Nine Theses

This work argues that humanitarianism can increase the likelihood of war and prolong conflict after it breaks out; it misinterprets the underlying motivations of conflict; it focuses too narrowly on short-term, ad-hoc solutions at the expense of long-term political action; and it reproduces the same social, political, and ethnic divisions it seeks to address. Most empirical illustrations are drawn from four prominent cases: Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, and the current crisis in the Western Sudanese region of Darfur. These are all cases with a significant ethno-national dimension. They provide enough variation to make a compelling argument that the flaws of humanitarianism extend beyond the limits of a single unfortunate set of circumstances. To be sure, humanitarians have at least some familiarity with these flaws, but they are often too quick to set their doubts aside and endorse the humanitarian enterprise.