Restricted Access: State Restrictions on Humanitarian NGOs

• In Event: New Insights on NGOs in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

In response to both protracted conflict and natural disasters, the U.N. is currently funding humanitarian assistance in 19 African countries. Non-governmental organizations are responsible for delivering the majority of these resources to people in need, in the form of food, medical care. However, NGOs often face barriers to delivering these urgently needed goods and services, including damaged infrastructure, insecurity, and opposition from government officials. Government officials have multiple motivations to restrict NGO’s access, including concerns about their ability to guarantee the security of NGO workers or a desire to conceal unpleasant realities from external observers. Faced with these restrictions how do NGOs respond? In contexts where governments are unable to enforce restrictions, and need for aid is high, we might expect NGOs to flout restrictions that are not compatible with their mission. Alternatively, if NGOs are concerned about the consequences of violating restrictions, they may comply with restrictions even when enforcement is unlikely. I draw on interviews with employees of humanitarian NGOs and a survey of professionals working for these organizations to measure the barriers they face, when they face restrictions from government and how they respond to these restrictions. This project contributes to scholarly debates on the relationship between state authority and non-state service provider in contexts of limited administrative state capacity.

Author

• Allison Namias Grossman, Tulane University