Humanitarianism’s Thin Red Line: Armed Escorts in Theory and Practice

Plowright, William

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, the number of attacks on humanitarian workers has dramatically increased, resulting in growing attention on the issue of safety and security (Neuman and Weissman, 2016). This insecurity has further led to an increase in the use of military assets to protect humanitarian staff (Bjerknes, 2020). It has been argued, however, that this blurring of lines between military and civilian is counterproductive, and has actually increased the risk to humanitarian actors (Fast, 2014). Military actors can attract the attention of their enemies, leading to humanitarians being caught in the cross-fire. Humanitarians using escorts may not be seen as neutral, which can lead to civilians rejecting their assistance and humanitarians being targeted directly. Due to the risks associated with their use, escorts are typically seen by humanitarians as a trade of principles that is acceptable only as a ‘last resort’ (Grace, 2020; IASC, 2013) to be used in ‘exceptional circumstances’ (IASC, 2013). There is at times a temptation by humanitarian actors to describe violations of principles – including the use of armed escorts – as a ‘red line’ for humanitarian organisations (Labbé and Daudin, 2016). However, given how frequently they are used, they are perhaps better understood as a thin red line – and one that is frequently crossed. This article will discuss two broad effects of armed escorts that remain under-researched, theorising the existence of a knock-on effect, when one organisation begins using armed escorts, increasing pressure on others to do the same, and a lock-in effect, whereby once armed escorts have begun, they are extremely difficult to cease.

Citation

Plowright, W. (2024). Humanitarianism’s Thin Red Line: Armed Escorts in Theory and Practice. Journal of Humanitarian Affairs, 5(3), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.7227/jha.114

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 16, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Oct 16, 2024
• Publication Date: Oct 16, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jan 15, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 15, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Humanitarian Affairs
• Print ISSN: 2515-6411
• Electronic ISSN: 2515-6411
• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 23-31
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7227/jha.114
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3335710