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Begin New Search Content Type Special Report Publishing Institution Feinstein International Center, Tufts University Publication Year within 25 Years

1. Blue on Blue: Investigating Sexual Abuse of Peacekeepers

Author:
Phoebe Donnelly, Dyan Mazurana, and Evyn Papworth
Publication Date:
04-2022
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
It is commonly assumed that the main threats to uniformed peacekeepers originate from outside of peacekeeping missions. However, many women (and some men) deployed as military or police peacekeepers are subjected to sexual abuse by other members of the organizations they serve. Until now, there has been little research specifically focused on this sexual abuse by uniformed peacekeepers against their peacekeeping colleagues. This paper helps fill that gap, drawing on a survey of peacekeepers as well as data from interviews and a closed-door workshop. It presents findings related to the extent, frequency, and type of abuse peacekeepers have experienced and witnessed; the perpetrators of this abuse; the organizational cultures that enable it; and peacekeepers’ perceptions of the UN’s response. These findings reveal that while sexual abuse is a major threat to uniformed peacekeepers, especially women, the UN and troop- and police-contributing countries (T/PCCs) have not adequately responded to the issue. This lack of attention is in contrast to the relatively robust architecture for reporting on and investigating sexual exploitation and abuse of host communities in peacekeeping environments.
Topic:
United Nations, Peacekeeping, Gender Based Violence, and Sexual Violence
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. Measuring the Resilience of Livelihoods in Darfur: The Income Streams Index

Author:
Merry Fitzpatrick and Hassan Alattar Satti
Publication Date:
03-2022
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
Resilience is the recognition that people are active agents in their own survival in the face of crises. Understanding the dynamics of how households in crisis-prone contexts plan for and respond to crises can help structure policy, development, and humanitarian activities to support their strategies, reducing the impact of crises, speeding recovery, and reducing the amount of humanitarian assistance required. A resilience indicator that is both quantitative and descriptive is needed to see how crises affect households and the livelihoods through which they meet their needs. Previously proposed measures either use proxies of outcomes or combinations of economic and wealth measurements, but none measure livelihoods themselves in real-time. This report uses an innovative real-time index, the Income Streams Index (ISI), to teach us how households in South, West, and North Darfur states in Sudan managed and adapted their livelihood activities in the face of multiple shocks of various types and sizes over a three-year period (2018 to 2021).
Topic:
Development, Resilience, Livelihoods, and Structuralism
Political Geography:
Africa and Sudan

3. Market Access and Quality Critical for Food Security in Periods of Stress

Author:
Anastasia Marshak
Publication Date:
03-2022
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
This briefing paper describes how market access is associated with household food security and dietary diversity in the Karamoja region of Uganda in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, according to both the study’s primary data and secondary data, households experienced significantly worse conflict, climate, and economic shocks compared with 2019. These shocks in 2018 led to a decline in livestock production, increase in food prices, and declines in terms of trade. While the experience of shocks was worse according to many indicators in 2018, household food security and , dietary diversity data remained relatively similar across the two years. The data indicate that greater use of markets during the more stressful 2018 year might have mitigated the expected, but not observed reduction in food security. Better market quality and access was associated with using fewer short-term coping strategies and better food security and dietary diversity, but only in 2018, when households experienced more shocks. Thus, households are likely to be more reliant on markets during periods of greater stress. This analysis is part of the United States Agency for International Development/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA)-funded Apolou Activity, a consortium led by Mercy Corps. It was designed to help Mercy Corps and other national and international actors to address youth’s vulnerability and opportunities in the Karamoja sub-region. The findings are part of a four-year study carried out in four districts of the Karamoja sub-region. The analysis and findings in this report focus on the first and second round of quantitative data from November/December 2018 and 2019. The data come from a longitudinal two-stage randomized cluster sample of approximately 500 households across 52 villages. The same respondents were interviewed across both years.
Topic:
Agriculture, Development, Food, Children, Resilience, and Household
Political Geography:
Uganda and Africa

4. Seeing in the Dark: Real-Time Monitoring in Humanitarian Crises

Author:
Daniel Maxwell, Erin Lentz, Kamau Wanjohi, Daniel Molla, Matthew Day, Peter Hailey, Christopher Newton, and Anna Colom
Publication Date:
03-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
Humanitarian information systems typically provide analysis to predict crisis, assess needs, direct program resources, and assess short- to medium-term effects of programs. But much of this information is “chunky”—a single estimate of “needs,” for example, can be expected to direct resources and programming for up to a full year (IASC 2020). A single early warning scenario might be expected to provide information about potential hazards and the exposure of population to the ill-effects of that hazard for three to four months. And almost by definition, early warning analyses are grounded in known and likely hazards, “population in need” (PIN) figures are based on the impacts of known shocks, and program resources are (or should be) allocated on the basis of known and projected PIN figures. There have long been questions about the timeliness of humanitarian information and especially about the extent to which information initiates appropriate and timely actions (Buchanan-Smith and Davies 1995; Bailey 2012; Lentz et al. 2020). And there have always been concerns that circumstances can change in shorter time periods than standard humanitarian analysis procedures can pick up, so interest in real-time monitoring (RTM) as a component of humanitarian information systems has increased for at least the past decade or so (FSNAU 2015).
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Humanitarian Aid, Famine, Food Security, Humanitarian Intervention, Conflict, and Nutrition
Political Geography:
Middle East, Yemen, Somalia, Malawi, South Sudan, and Africa

5. “I could not sleep while they were hungry”: Investigating the role of social networks in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis

Author:
Jeeyon Janet KIm, Alex Humphrey, Maha Elsamahi, Aws Kadasi, and Daniel Maxwell
Publication Date:
04-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
ix years of civil war have left Yemenis in the grip of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 16 million food insecure. While external aid is saving lives in Yemen, it is not necessarily the main source by which Yemenis cope during the ongoing crisis. So how are Yemenis coping? Experts on food security in Yemen, research from other contexts, and Yemenis themselves point to an obvious, but often under-recognized source of support: Households are relying on their social connections and support networks for survival. Mercy Corps is undertaking research to help aid actors better understand how social connections are supporting coping and survival in Yemen. This brief report presents initial findings from a study investigating the role of social networks in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. It includes insights from interviews conducted with nearly 100 respondents in Taiz, Yemen
Topic:
Food, Hunger, Humanitarian Crisis, and Social Networks
Political Geography:
Yemen and Persian Gulf

6. Women’s knowledge on the seasonality and causes of child malnutrition in Marsabit county, Kenya

Author:
John Burns, Andy Catley, and Hussein Mahmoud
Publication Date:
05-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
This report presents the results of a participatory analysis of the causes and seasonality of malnutrition in children and mothers in North Horr and Loiyangalani wards in Marsabit county, Kenya. Although North Horr and Loiyangalani areas differ in terms of livelihoods, culture, and ethnicity, similar findings emerged from both locations. Overall, women positioned the problem of malnutrition within a context of changing and gendered livelihoods, marked seasonality of livelihood systems, and physical remoteness with limited infrastructure or public services. These factors combine in ways which place women and children at a very high risk of acute malnutrition.
Topic:
Food, Hunger, Humanitarian Crisis, Knowledge Production, and Malnutrition
Political Geography:
Kenya and Africa

7. Early Warning and Early Action for Increased Resilience of Livelihoods in IGAD Region

Author:
Daniel Maxwell, Erin Lentz, Cori Simmons, and Gregory Gottlieb
Publication Date:
06-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
Multiple calls have been issued for better preparedness, early warning, and, above all, early action to prevent hunger and malnutrition, reduce the scale of food insecurity, improve resilience, and reduce the amount of money spent on responding to crises every year. Nowhere have these challenges been greater than in East Africa. A recent study on food security information systems in East Africa noted that despite years of attention, the link from early warning to early action is still not as effective as it could be. And although conflict is a common driver of humanitarian crisis, conflict early warning and action remains especially weak. As traditional EW-EA systems struggle to meet the challenges, new initiatives are attempting to address the challenges using advanced machine learning and predictive analytics. But part of the issue is the sheer volume of information and how well it informs coherent action. Therefore, our primary recommendation is to “reverse engineer” the EW-EA system. First, consider the actions that can be taken to mitigate known or expected shocks, and then derive the information needs (including PA) from those considerations. This study was commissioned by the FAO Subregional Office for Eastern Africa to examine the links between early warning and early action (EW-EA) in East Africa. This study reviews current EW-EA systems in East Africa to identify the key constraints to improving early warning and early action, as well as practices and emerging initiatives relying on predictive analytics and machine learning, to ensure early warning systems suit the needs of decisionmakers and enable early action for improved resilience in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region.
Topic:
Hunger, Humanitarian Crisis, Resilience, and Malnutrition
Political Geography:
Africa

8. Women’s knowledge on the seasonality and causes of child malnutrition in Isiolo county, Kenya

Author:
Hussein Mahmoud, John Burns, and Andy Catley
Publication Date:
07-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
This report presents the results of a participatory analysis of the causes and seasonality of malnutrition in Borana children and mothers in Cherab and Chari wards in Isiolo county, Kenya. The field work was carried out in 16 communities that are primarily engaged in livestock production, with a focus on cattle and small ruminants.
Topic:
Women, Humanitarian Crisis, Knowledge Production, and Malnutrition
Political Geography:
Kenya and Africa

9. Localization: A “Landscape” Report

Author:
Sabina C. Robillard, Teddy Atim, and Daniel Maxwell
Publication Date:
12-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
The international humanitarian system has long been criticized for excluding and marginalizing local humanitarian actors from crisis-affected countries, particularly those in the Global South. The term “localization” has emerged over the past decade as a loosely defined agenda to correct for that historic exclusion. Localization became a mainstream reform issue during the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul, where it was included as one of the main Grand Bargain commitments. Reforms related to localization typically relate to increasing direct funding to local humanitarian actors, building more equitable partnerships, ensuring coordination mechanisms are more accessible, investing in the capacity of local humanitarian actors, and prioritizing local humanitarian leadership. Advocates for localization believe that these reforms will make the humanitarian system more effective and more equitable. This study examined the literature and spoke to over five dozen key informants from different perspectives, positions, and countries across the humanitarian sector. It found that there was a broad spectrum of understanding in terms of the definitions, goals, and motivations behind the localization of humanitarian aid, including some who reject the term. In the five years since the WHS, there has been progress towards localization in some sectors and countries, but as a whole, the system has fallen short of its goals of change. Some of the barriers cited by key informants and the literature include the power dynamics at the heart of the system, the persistence of inequitable structures, capacity concerns across all actors in the system, challenges with how the sector manages risk, and some context-specific barriers. However, there has been some progress driven by the organizing work of local and national actors, changes and programs from progressive international actors and donors, the expansion of some more inclusive funding and coordination mechanisms, and issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the global discourse about racial equity and decolonization. The report concludes with recommendations for how large institutional donors can contribute to advancing the localization agenda through direct funding reforms, investing in creating an enabling environment for locally led humanitarian action, relationship building with diverse local actors, and greater internal and collective action among donors.
Topic:
Humanitarian Aid, Reform, Humanitarian Crisis, and Marginalization
Political Geography:
Global South

10. Livelihood Components of Durable Solutions for IDPs

Author:
Abdirahman Ahmed Muhumed, Elizabeth Stites, Elizabeth Alexion, and Delia Burns
Publication Date:
11-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
Abstract:
In early 2021, the Somali Region hosted 844,642 IDPs, almost entirely Somali in ethnicity. Conflict and climate shocks have been the primary drivers of this displacement. Due to livelihood loss and on-going conflicts, many of the displaced cannot return to their places of origin. This assessment examines three ways in which national and international actors have sought to implement long-term, “durable,” solutions to internal displacement in Ethiopia’s Somali Region: resettlement, relocation, and local integration. Each example of a durable solution (resettlement, relocation, and local integration) assessed in this report can be considered partially successful in relation to livelihood aspects. The most promising aspects are the extent of local assistance provided to the displaced and the positive relations between displaced people and host communities. On-going challenges and obstacles to long-term durability include limited access to key livelihood inputs, especially land; strain upon shared resources and services; the poverty of the host communities, making long-term support to the displaced unlikely; limited financial resources; inadequate planning and sharing of information with involved parties; and lack of appropriate policies to ensure conflict mitigation, drought mitigation, and support to existing and alternative livelihoods.
Topic:
Ethnicity, Displacement, Internal Displacement, and Identity
Political Geography:
Africa and Somalia