Refugees International: Issues: Relief to Development

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Relief to Development

Indonesia 2005: Destruction in Banda Aceh

Concerns

It is essential to provide communities with the means to become self-sufficient so that they can support themselves after a crisis or natural disaster. However, international aid agencies find it difficult to make the transition from providing emergency support to a population to providing assistance that addresses long-term needs. Funding for emergency assistance is often more readily available than that for development needs, partially as a consequence of the relative visibility of emergencies. Once an acute crisis ends, the aid community moves on, leaving quiet development crises, such as the consistent inability to produce enough food or the lack of effective education and public health services, unaddressed.

RI’s advocacy work in this area overlaps with our work on peacekeeping, return and re-integration, and building local capacity. Supporting long-term positive change in a conflict-ridden society involves taking effective action to end the conflict; supporting the return of displaced populations; identifying local leaders and supporting their efforts to rebuild; and providing adequate funding to initiate programs that increase food production and establish basic services. RI’s strategy is to return to countries even after the acute crisis has ended and document the rehabilitation and long-term development needs that remain unaddressed. We work hard to urge donor governments and UN agencies to maintain or increase their funding for long-term programs, while working in closer partnership with local institutions.

Accomplishments

Refugees International has demonstrated aspects of a successful transition from relief to development in our work with the Phnong highland people in Cambodia. We advocated with the UN World Food Program for emergency food assistance when we found in 1999 that Phnong refugees returning from the Thai-Cambodian border to their homes in Mondolkiri province were being neglected by international agencies. While successfully advocating with WFP to maintain food support to vulnerable families, RI has also located funding to support small-scale economic development activities in Phnong communities and initiated a training program for Phnong community leaders.