To Deliver and Stay Secure. Adhering to the Four Humanitarian Principles in the Face of Kidnapping. Threats in Insecure Environments

Humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence provide the foundation for humanitarian action. These principles are coming under increasing pressure due to an increase in attacks of violence against aid workers and kidnapping incidents. Most of these kidnappings take place in highly insecure environments, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Republic of Sudan, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic. This paper draws on the 2011 UN OCHA report “To Stay and Deliver” by outlining remaining risks, vulnerabilities and mitigation measures in order “to deliver and stay secure”. For aid workers and their organizations to be able to deliver assistance, it is imperative to have an adequate level of security. Organizations need to strike the right balance between the provision of assistance in line with the humanitarian principles and the duty of care towards their staff.

Bröhl, J. (2016). To Deliver and Stay Secure. Adhering to the Four Humanitarian Principles in the Face of Kidnapping. Threats in Insecure Environments. IFHV Working Paper, 6(2).