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1. TAKING A CRISIS SITUATION OF YOUR CHOICE, ANALYZE IT
FROM AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. SUGGEST WAYS
YOU WOULD APPROACH ADDRESSING THE CRISIS, AS
COORDINATOR OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN THAT
SITUATION.
Alexandros Iosif Freris Barolo
13203402
January 2014
Anthropology Module Assignment for 2014, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements of the Masters in
Humanitarian Action program, UCD.

2. INTRODUCTION
In the 21st
century the number of natural and man-made disasters has increased
rapidly, leading to an increment in the number of humanitarians workers deployed in
the field (UNEP, 2005). However, the aforementioned fact can cause grave
perturbances, due to the import of the workers’ trends, beliefs and customs (Sahr Y.,
2013). Thus, in order to avoid a conflict between locals and foreign ‘invaders’, the
context and cultural particularities of each case should be thoroughly considered (Sahr
Y., 2013). Examples from the past have proven that locals are willing to accept the aid
offered by International Non – Governmental Organizations (I.N.G.O.) but under
certain conditions. Namely, Western aid workers should not only avoid to import
Western beliefs and concepts in the reality of the nation in need, but also programs
should be designed under a bottom-up approach and the logical frameworks, under
which projects function, should become less Western in their conceptualization
(Roepstorff K., 2013).
The current essay will examine the floods in Jhal Magsi in 2013 and their
impact on the local population, which will be analyzed under an anthropological
approach. The essay is divided in 6 sections. The first section will briefly outline the
notions of ‘humanitarian crisis’ and socio – cultural anthropology. The second will
describe the situation in district Jhal Magsi in Balochistan, Pakistan. The third section
will analyze cultural issues and facts in the area of Balochistan, which, as Coordinator
of the program, should be seriously taken into account. The fourth section will
examine how the program could take place in collaboration with the local population,
adapting to the context of the present crisis. The fifth section will critically evaluate
the anthropological issues which may arise in humanitarian interventions and may
lead the program to fail. Finally the last section will reach the conclusions.

3. THE NOTIONS OF ‘ANTHROPOLOGY’ AND ‘HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS’.
Socio – cultural anthropology is one of the main issues which should be taken
into account during humanitarian interventions. According to Oxford
dictionary(2013), anthropology is ‘the comparative study of human societies and
cultures and their development’. It is a fact that we live in a complex world where
each person, city, country, continent holds different views and perceptions about the
nature of things. Thus socio-cultural anthropology studies the behavior of people in
terms of the legacy of history, local traditions and norms. (Sahr Y., 2013)
Furthermore the notion of context plays a major role in terms of
anthropological analysis and humanitarian intervention. According to Chimamanda
(2009), the context should be always be taken into consideration, since each crisis has
a different background and is explained in a different way. To this extent, in a
humanitarian context, different actors, from different social backgrounds, interact and
create a new type of context and behavioral patterns (Sahr Y., 2013). This could also
happen in terms of a humanitarian crisis, where aid workers should endorse local
trends, customs and particularities in order to be respected by locals. However, what
is considered as a ‘humanitarian crisis’?
According to Humanitarian Coalition (2013), humanitarian crisis is ‘an event
or series of events which represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or
well-being of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area.
Armed conflicts, epidemics, famine, natural disasters and other major emergencies
may all involve or lead to a humanitarian crisis that extends beyond the mandate or
capacity of any single agency.’ Humanitarian crises can be grouped under the
following headings: ‘Natural Disasters’ (earthquakes, floods, storms and volcanic
eruptions), ‘Man-made Disasters’ (conflicts, plane and train crashes, fires and
industrial accidents) and ‘Complex Emergencies’ (when the effects of a series of
events or factors prevent a community from accessing their basic needs, such as
water, food, shelter, security or health care).

4. JHAL MAGSI, PAKISTAN; A DEVASTATED DISTRICT.
The last years Pakistan has faced several floods, which caused considerable
damage to the whole country and leaded to high numbers of refugees and Internally
Displaced Persons. The floods of 2010 should have led to an overall strategy which
would protect the country from similar catastrophes in the future (Reliefweb, 2012).
However Disaster Risk Reduction measures have proven insufficient.
In the area of Balochistan, Jhal Magsi district suffered in August 2013 from
heavy floods, which destroyed numerous houses and cut-off the area from the rest of
the country (New York Times, 2013). According several sources, a huge hill torrent
from the mountainous Jhalawan area washed away many homes and destroyed acres
of farmland in the district. The top district administrator ordered the evacuation of the
historic city of Ghandawa and people have been advised to move to a higher ground,
in order to avoid similar catastrophes. The flooding could also engulf the villages of
Saifabad, Kot Magsi, Misri Goth and other adjoining areas. At least 18 people –
mostly women and children – have been killed in rain-related incidents in the
province the first days. The incessant rains in Jhalawan, in central Balochistan, have
caused flooding in all seasonal rivers. The surging waters submerged settlements and
villages on the banks of these rivers, damaging infrastructures and destroying
properties. (Reliefweb, 2013)
Furthermore, troops were called out in Jhal Magsi by the civil administration
after heavy rains and floods submerged 25 villages in the district. Life came to a
virtual standstill in several other towns and cities of the province. All communication
between Jhal Magsi and the rest of Balochistan has been cut off as the main highway
linking the district is under water, hampering the movement of vehicles (International
The News, 2013).
Overall, the damage to infrastructure is colossal, as most culverts, causeways
and bridges in all three regions of the province have been washed away. Thousands of
villagers in these areas are marooned. They have taken shelter on high grounds where
they are living under the open sky, without food or even water.

5. CULTURAL ISSUES IN PAKISTAN AND BALOCHISTAN AREA.
As Coordinator of a humanitarian assistance program, several cultural issues
should be taken into account, in order to establish a successful humanitarian response.
The program, from a technical standpoint, should focus on the provision of WaSH
facilities and set up a sustainable build-back-better and Disaster Risk Reduction
(D.R.R) strategy. However, in terms of cultural sensitivity, things are different.
Pakistan, and especially the area of Balochistan, is a Sunni Muslim area. Islam
is practiced by the majority of Pakistanis and their personal, political, economic and
legal lives is strongly connected with their religion. Among certain obligations for
Muslims are to pray five times a day - at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening,
while Friday is the Muslim holy day. In addition not all foods are appropriate for
Sunni Muslims and drinks are forbidden.(Kwintessential, 2013)
Moreover, as far as the structure of the Pakistani family is concerned, the
extended family is the basis of the social structure and individual identity. It includes
‘the nuclear family, immediate relatives, distant relatives, tribe members, friends, and
neighbors, while loyalty to the family comes before other social relationships, even
business. Nepotism is viewed positively, since it guarantees hiring people who can be
trusted, which is crucial in a country where working with people one knows and trusts
is of primary importance. The family is more private than in many other cultures and
female relatives are protected from outside influences. Finally, it is considered
inappropriate to ask questions about a Pakistani's wife or other female
relatives.’(Kwintessential, 2013)
In addition, Pakistan is a hierarchical society. People are respected because of
their age and position and older people are viewed as wise and are granted respect.
Titles are very important and denote respect. We are expected to use a person's title
and their surname until invited to use their first name. (Kwintessential, 2013)
To this extent, during the planning of the intervention, humanitarian aid
workers should be aware of these issues in order to be trusted by locals in Jhal Magsi
area. Otherwise, a conflict can burst, leading the program to failure. There have been
numerous examples of organizations feeding Muslims with pork, or aid workers
drinking alcohol and behaving in an inappropriate way after the end of their duties.
Those acts have caused considerable damage in the reputation of certain
organizations, due to the disrespect of local customs and norms by the aid workers.

6. ADAPTING TO JHAL MAGSI REALITY.
The reality in the Jhal Magsi area is alarming. People lost their lives,
numerous houses were destroyed and roads have collapsed. Furthermore there is not
an effective D.R.R. strategy, thus making the whole process more difficult.
As Coordinator of the program, training the aid workers on local trends and
customs is mandatory. Aid workers should not behave in a way which may cause
tensions between locals and workers, since the westernization and politicization of aid
has already had grave effects. As Thoraya Obaid , Executive Director of the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA, 2007) clearly stated; “In our development efforts
in poor communities, we need to be able to work with people at their own level and to
find common ground. We may not believe in what they do, we may not agree with
them, but we need to have the compassion and the commitment to understand them
and to support them as they translate universal principles into their own codes,
messages and ways of doing things. Human rights is our frame of reference. And we
use culturally sensitive approaches to promote human rights in ways that people can
identify with and can internalize in the context of their own lives.”
However, before designing the project, we should endeavor to discuss with
community members in order to clarify what they hope to achieve in order to help
their locals and create an effective plan for the future. In addition, soliciting their
views on every stage of the project, from the general strategy to specific advocacy
messages, can foster local acceptance and instill a sense of ownership. In many
projects, locals do not participate in the preparation, or even in the project itself, thus
limiting its effectiveness. (UNFPA, 2007) As Schech and Haggis (2000) stated in
their book; “…intervention….can be more effective and beneficial to those whose
lives are being changed if culture is taken seriously. A painstaking exegesis of a well-
meaning but ill-fated Australian development project in Kenya reveals the reasons for
its failure as mainly cultural: past lessons were not learnt, historical local
circumstances not examined, indigenous knowledge not harnessed, and the superiority
of Western knowledge and experience taken for granted”.
Moreover, discussing with the elders of the Jhal Magsi area, which are fully
respected by younger community members, can be a crucial first step in gaining
acceptance at the grass roots. Namely as UNFPA (2007) states, ‘ it will be for our
own benefit to rely on local partners that have the legitimacy and capacity to influence
and mobilize a community. Such partners have the added advantage of knowing what
local people are likely to accept. Often, an appropriate role for traditional or religious
leaders is mobilizing communities or helping to reshape public opinion. Seeking their
engagement in these areas, while letting health workers manage the technical aspects
of reproductive health programs, may lead to a fruitful project.’
Additionally, the introduction of women’s groups in the project, should form
part of the overall plan. Giving women the opportunity to demonstrate their

7. capabilities through various development programs will strengthen their belief and
acceptance of the program. (Voutira E. et.al, 1999)This can also help diminish false,
culture-based beliefs about stereotypical gender roles. A successful project should
take into account the perceptions of the role of women in society and make them part
of the project, only under the auspices of the local leaders (PHAP, 2013).
However, it is important to note that, different schools of thought within the
same society can create setbacks in the fulfillment of the program. The answer to this
issue could be found in looking for common grounds, such as children or women
rights and needs. It is also significant to try to analyze the rationale on which they
base their arguments and be ready to engage in a constructive dialogue. (UNFPA,
2007)
Furthermore, collaboration with local NGO’s would be one of the main
strategies in order to better-comprehend the reality on the ground and create a
successful program. Local NGO’s have been in the affected area before the arrival of
International Non-Governmental Organizations (I.N.G.O.) and International
Organizations (I.O.) and will continue to be after the end of the program. Thus,
collaborating and cooperating with locals, will create a sustainable system which can
be implemented and continued by local NGO’s after the end of the emergency phase.
Additionally, locals could offer significant information to foreigners, which will help
them in the emergency phase (CGIAR, 2013).
Gift-giving in the humanitarian context.
Anthropologists, since Mauss’ work on the gift, have understood that the
exchange of goods is not merely mechanical, but a moral transaction which defines
status and power relations between the giver and the recipient; receiving places the
recipient in a position of obligation until the gift has been reciprocated (Roepstorff,
2013). Indeed, as Mauss (1990) put it, the gift “not yet repaid debases the man who
accepted it”. This type of relationship, as Mauss described, created by the very
meaning of humanitarian intervention, places the victims at a structural disadvantage
with respect to their helpers. The challenge is how to redress this balance. (Blue
Book, 1999)
In many occasions, Humanitarian Action is perceived as inter-societal
transfers of resources intended to serve the recipient’s needs, interests or wants, which
leads to the idea that it is a form of gift-giving. (Blue Book, 2013)But who are the
‘helpers’/ ‘gift-givers’ in that context? Aid workers should not believe that they are
the gods who will help the unhelpful, developing aid-seekers. In contrast,
humanitarian work should involve mutual respect and a fruitful cooperation between
two entities who are in the same level of need. Both individuals (helper and recipient)
are equal and should never make the other feel indebted. (Roepstorff, 2013)

8. PROBLEMS ARISING DURING HUMANITARIAN
INTERVENTIONS.
Throughout the history of humanitarian interventions, several mistakes have
been noted, which should be taken into consideration, before planning an intervention.
In the 1970s’ an assessment was made in order to analyze what went wrong with the
with the relief approach in humanitarian interventions. Nevertheless, the same issues
continue being in the agenda in the 21st
century.
According to that assessment, ‘a major issue is that by presuming individual
victims’ needs to be uniform, the relief model fails the most needy, and creates greater
social differentiation (Roepstorff 2013).This fact, result to an increase of the cost and
wastes significant resources. In addition, it ignores the resources, individual skills and
institutional strengths of the host society, thus weakening them. Moreover, by failing
to recognize the resources which people already have, it fails to mobilize them for the
benefit of both individual interests and the local economy. Another important
notification was that by ignoring the needs of, and its own impact on, the surrounding
population, the relief model is essentially socially divisive. Finally, relief programs
inhibit the institutionalizing of efficient systems of accountability and thus create
opportunities for corruption, both individually and institutionally.’(Roepstorff, 2013)
Nowadays, and especially after 09/11, the humanitarian world has changed
dramatically, leading to growing tensions between locals and aid workers. Aid is
perceived as a Western tool used to invade in third countries under different agendas,
such as the Coherent or Stabilization agenda (Maitra S., 2013). In the name of
‘stabilizing’ a failed state, humanitarian agencies are cooperating with local military
or international peacekeeping, peace-building and peace-enforcement forces, creating
negative impression to locals (Maitra S., 2013). To this extent, not only local customs
and norms are not respected, but also the invasion of Western organizations in the
developing world has become more intruding than ever.
However in terms of natural disasters, responses have become more effective
and the Transformative agenda, introduced in 2010 by the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee, after the catastrophes in Haiti, Horn of Africa and Pakistan paves the way
for a more effective response by the humanitarian organizations during emergencies
(Gibbons P., 2013).

9. CONCLUSIONS.
All in all, intervening in a humanitarian crisis is a multifaceted issue which
could have reverse effects. Alas, the Westernization and politicization of aid has
changed the attitude of populations towards Western aid workers, leading aid
programs to failure. Western aid workers are perceived as tools of Western
governments who strive to invade in a developing country in order to exploit the local
resources and population. Thus western workers should increment their efforts in
order to get accepted by locals and ameliorate the negative reputation of Western
organizations.
Another issue which should be thoroughly taken into consideration is that aid
organizations are not ‘gods’ but entities which try to help people in need. Therefore
employees of such organizations should consider the anthropological issues which
arise during humanitarian interventions and respond in a culturally sensitive way.
Namely, the unique context and the specific cultural background of each crisis should
be in the core of the intervention. In addition, local particularities and perceptions of
aid should be fully respected and actions which do not fit to Western standards should
be incorporated in the whole program.
As Eisenbruch’s work in South Asia has shown (2010), ‘it is only through
collaboration that people can learn from each other and address human suffering as a
common concern. The articulation of a consensus in approach between the affected
population and the aid workers is thus a pre-condition for the effective
implementation of international aid’.

10. References
Books
Schech and Haggis, 2000, ‘Culture and Development; A critical introduction’,
Blackwell Publishing , USA.
Voutira E., et.al., 1999, ‘NOHA Blue Book, Anthropology in Humanitarian
Assistance’,2nd Ed.
Mauss M., 1990, ‘The Gift’, London.
Internet/Websites
CGIAR, 2013, ‘Working in Diversity with Collaboration. Tips and Tools’, available
from;
http://library.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10947/2741/39A_Working%20with%20diver
sity%20in%20collaborations.Tips%20an%20tools_WP.pdf?sequence=1 , (accessed
January 1st ).
Eisenbruch, 2010, ‘Cultural competence- background), available from;
http://www.eisenbruch.com/Further_resources/Cultural_diversity/Cultural_competenc
e_-_background.htm , (accessed January 5th
)
Humanitarian Coalition, 2013, ‘What is a Humanitarian Crisis?’, available from;
http://humanitariancoalition.ca/info-portal/factsheets/what-is-a-humanitarian-crisis
(accessed January 3rd).
International the News, 2013, ‘Rain, floods create food, water shortage in Jhal
Magsi’, available from; http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-112328-Rain,-floods-
create-food,-water-shortage-in-Jhal-Magsi, (accessed January 1st ).
Kwintessential, 2013, ‘Pakistan-Language, Culture, Religion, Customs and Etiquette’,
available from; http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-
etiquette/pakistan.html ,(accessed January 1st ).
New York Times, 2013, ‘Monsoon 2013; Jhal Magsi braces for massive hill torrent’,
available from; http://tribune.com.pk/story/586621/monsoon-2013-jhal-magsi-braces-
for-massive-hill-torrent/, (accessed January 1st ).
Oxford Dictionaries, 2013, ‘Definition of Anthropology in English, available from;
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/anthropology , (accessed
January 4th
).
PHAP, 2013, ‘Women in Humanitarian Action’, available from;
http://phap.org/content/women-humanitarian-action-article, (accessed January 4th).

11. Reliefweb, 2012, ‘Disaster Risk Reduction in Pakistan; The contribution of DEC
member agencies, 2010-2012’, available from;
http://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/disaster-risk-reduction-pakistan-contribution-dec-
member-agencies-2010-2012 , (accessed January 5th
)
Reliefweb, 2013, ‘Daily Flash Flood-2013 situation Bulletin 4’, available from;
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Bulletin-4.pdf, (accessed January
3rd).
UNEP, 2005, ‘Environmental Management and Disaster Reduction’, available from;
http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/wcdr/unep-bg-paper.pdf , (accessed January 2nd ).
UNFPA, 2007, ‘Guide to working from within 24 tips for culturally sensitive
programming’, available from;
http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/2004/24tips
_eng.pdf (accessed January 3rd).
Lecture
Gibbons P., 2013, Management module, lecture 4, October 2013.
Maitra S., 2013, Geopolitics module, Lecture 3, October 2013.
Sahr Y., 2013, Anthropology module, lecture 6, November 2013.
Sahr Y., 2013, Anthropology module, lecture 7, November 2013.
Roepstorff K., 2013, Anthropology module , lecture 3, October 2013.
Video
Chimamanda A., 2009, ‘The danger of a single story’, available from;
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html ,
2009. (accessed January 3rd).