Eyes in the Sky are Inevitable: UAVs and Humanitarian Response

Jules Frost · 13 October 2014

Twenty years ago, when I began my career as a humanitarian, we were concerned with carrying satellite phones into certain environments. Later, the same was true for GPS devices. If you were found to be using these dual-use technologies you could be accused of spying or being involved with covert military activities. However, as technology becomes more widespread, perceptions about them change – today, most humanitarian workers will not leave home without a smartphone equipped with GPS.

The evolution of military-developed technology into dual-use technology has and will continue to occur. We are now witnessing this evolution with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones. Previously associated solely with military activities, UAVs are increasingly becoming relevant in the civilian sphere. Drones in the humanitarian space are inevitable, and are in fact already being used. The question remains who will use UAVs for humanitarian action in the future and how they will be used. We, humanitarians, have an opportunity to influence the use of this technology in support of effective and ethical life-saving assistance and protection.

UAV technology represents a valuable advancement in capacity for data and imagery collection in the midst of humanitarian crises, particularly where infrastructure is destroyed or was lacking to begin with. Recent examples of humanitarians using UAVs for this purpose were in Haiti after the devastating earthquake, the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, and most recently in the Balkans in May-June this year, when the region experienced unprecedented flooding. UAVs also have the potential for delivering small, life-saving packages, such as vaccines. Google, along with DHL, is at the forefront of this technology advancement.¹

UAVs in conflict settings and humanitarian principles
Recently, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published an Occasional Policy Paper titled “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Humanitarian Response.”² It outlines potential uses of UAVs in humanitarian responses and some of the associated challenges. OCHA clearly states that the use of UAVs in conflict zones for humanitarian assistance is problematic. Their recommendation is clear:

 “Focus on using UAVs in natural disaster and avoid use in conflict settings: The use of UAVs in conflict settings is still too complex and hard to separate from military uses.”³

The principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence are the foundation of humanitarian action. The adherence to these principles is fundamental and essential to negotiating access to affected populations and to the safety of humanitarian personnel and beneficiaries.⁴ In upholding these principles, the distinction between military and civilian activities is key. INGOs must carefully manage their association with both state and non-state armed actors, including military components of UN Integrated Missions, in order to obtain and maintain humanitarian access and acceptance. This remains true today, for example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

While OCHA was writing its policy paper on UAVs, fourteen INGOs operational in North Kivu in DRC questioned the use of MONUSCO’s UAV for humanitarian purposes. As the Senior Advisor for Civil-Military & Police Relations for World Vision International (WVI), I was privileged to engage in this discussion and advised against the use of the UAV for humanitarian purposes in this context due to the current and historic use primarily for military purposes. Given MONUSCO’s unique mandate, including an offensive brigade force, and being the first DPKO mission to formally integrate the use of UAVs into its military and civilian structure, I strongly recommended that the UAV continue to be defined as a military asset. Thus the existing international “Guidelines on the Use of Military and Civil Defense Assets” would apply, ensuring that UAVs would only be used as a “last resort” under exceptional circumstances.

The potential for confusion and misunderstanding is exceptionally high in DRC and other conflict environments. The dual-use capacity is problematic as it directly threatens the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. Where the local populations’ understanding and ability to distinguish between UAVs on military or humanitarian missions is weak or non-existent, the risk for blurring the lines between military and humanitarian activities and actors increases.

Relating to dual-use technologies
For most people today, the word “drone” predominately conjures up images of military action. Historically, this was true for satellite communication, GPS, and other technologies originally used for military purposes when introduced to the commercial market. Patrick Meier, founder of UAViators⁵ and an internationally recognized thought leader on new technologies for crisis early warning, humanitarian response, and resilience, reminds us that, “perceptions are not static, they change as technologies spill into the civilian sectors and become more democratized.”⁶

To address the concerns and challenges associated with UAVs and humanitarian assistance and protection, caution and rigor are required at this early stage of their evolution. Critical analysis is required regarding the implications of the use of UAVs for non-lethal purposes, including data collection to inform humanitarian action in conflict environments. Regulation, policies, technical standards, and a professional ethical framework to guide the use of UAVs in humanitarian response need to be created and adopted. Community engagement, education, and participation are essential.

In conflict environments, perhaps an independent entity such as an institution, specialized NGO, or regional organization should manage the operation of humanitarian UAVs and the data and imagery collected. For example, perhaps an entity like UNOSAT⁷ could be responsible for holding and interpreting the raw data and ensuring that it is used appropriately. This would potentially create sufficient space to enable INGOs to more effectively manage their independence and neutrality.  The pros and cons of this centralized institutional approach are numerous but worth consideration.

Like technology, the humanitarian community is evolving. As we embrace new technologies to support the humanitarian endeavor, let us guard against unnecessarily turning to remote and impersonal decision-making thousands of miles away in sterile locations in front of high-definition screens. While being open to new technology where appropriate, let us hold fast and protect the inherent value of personal interaction, sympathy, and solidarity of human-to-human interaction.

As UAVs are increasingly used outside of the military domain, humanitarians must robustly engage, influence, and inform the nascent debate on their use, ensuring the most effective precedent is established and guides future use.

About the author
Jules Frost is the Senior Advisor for Civil-Military & Police Relations for World Vision International. She provides leadership and oversight for strategy and policy development and operational guidance pertaining to engagement with state and non-state armed actors.

Notes
¹ In mid-August, Google X revealed its Project Wing, a secret drone delivery program that has been running for two years and demonstrating promising results.
² OCHA (June 2014), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Humanitarian Response, Occasional Policy Paper, No. 010.
³ ibid., p. 14.
⁴ The fundamental legal framework of the humanitarian principles is composed by General Assembly resolutions 46/182 (1991) and 58/114 (2004).
⁵ Humanitarian UAV Network, UAViators promotes the safe and responsible use of UAVs in humanitarian settings.
⁶ Meier, Patrick (6 September 2014), “Reflections on the Use of UAVs in Humanitarian Interventions,” iRevolution.
⁷ UNOSAT is a technology-intensive program delivering imagery analysis and satellite solutions to relief and development organizations within and outside the UN system to help make a difference in critical areas such as humanitarian relief, human security, strategic territorial and development planning. UNOSAT develops applied research solutions keeping in sight the needs of the beneficiaries at the end of the process.