The need for contextualizing protection of civilians

Despite the existing international framework and the mandates of various institutions on protection of civilians in military operations in disaster situations, there is poor coordination on the ground leading to hiccups in the protection work. Both the military and humanitarian actors play a key role during disasters, and as such, neither of them should be excluded from strengthening the protection of civilians.

However, there are challenges as a result of ineffective coordination between the two kinds of actors. How much do they listen to each other? Do the national military actors in disaster response have sufficient and robust enough coordination structures, processes, and mechanisms to protect civilians?

Protection, as a military objective, should be tailored to fit the context, and – importantly – respect the local structures. This of course applies to humanitarian actors as well. There is a need to understand the context and develop strategies that ensure the protection of civilians.

Protection of civilians needs to be reevaluated based on current conflicts and by recognizing limitations in keeping civilians safe. Best practice should then guide in developing strategies that build the capacity of national structures and the people so that they are well prepared. However, it is inappropriate to replicate some protection aspects across contexts without first conducting in-depth studies to guide the framework of operations in places where disasters has occurred.

About the author
Hannah Ndung'u is Emergency Management Coordinator with the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Africa and is based in Kenya. As such, she helps enhance the emergency strategic planning of the country offices in the region.