Humanitarian principles amidst challenging realities

Dilemmas faced by local aid workers in Arab conflict zones

Bibliographic Data

ID3887292
AuthorsGhassan Elkahlout (0000-0001-8410-4322, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume35
Issue5
Pages737-747
Publication date2025-07-04
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopment in Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0961-4524 • E-ISSN: 1364-9213
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09614524.2025.2489565
OpenAlexW4410090605
LanguageEN
References cited16

This study investigates the ethical and operational challenges local aid providers face in conflict-affected Arab states, emphasising the tension between humanitarian principles and local realities. Based on 40 semi-structured interviews and an extensive literature review, it examines how localisation efforts heighten dilemmas surrounding neutrality, impartiality, and independence. While local humanitarians are deeply committed to humanitarian values, the complexities of politically fragmented environments often make these principles aspirational rather than achievable. Neutrality is frequently contested with perceptions of bias exacerbated by sociopolitical pressures. Similarly, independence and impartiality are undermined by donor agendas, armed groups, and cultural expectations. The findings advocate for a context-sensitive approach that balances global humanitarian ideals with local realities, fostering adaptive and inclusive responses in complex conflict settings

Armed conflict · Development economics · Economics · Ethnology · Humanitarian aid · Political economy · Political science · Sociology · South asia · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Development and Aid · Law · Peacebuilding and International Security

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