Humanitarian principles amidst challenging realities: dilemmas faced by local aid workers in Arab conflict zones

Ghassan Elkahlout

Development in Practice, 2025, vol. 35, issue 5, 737-747

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/09614524.2025.2489565 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:cdipxx:v:35:y:2025:i:5:p:737-747

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/cdip20

DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2025.2489565

Access Statistics for this article

Development in Practice is currently edited by Emily Finlay

More articles in Development in Practice from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().