Protecting civilians? The interaction between international military and humanitarian actors

This HPG working paper argues that PoC has become a shared objective of international military forces and humanitarian actors. In this scenario, it is necessary to engage military actors in humanitarian dialogue on PoC and coordinate operations on the ground. The author argues that when such interaction poses risks to a humanitarian organization’s perceived neutrality and impartiality, they can either choose to remain transparent in the process or establish indirect contact through OCHA or the protection cluster or working group on the ground.