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Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs), Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs), and International Organizations (IOs)*

Read:  HA Multiservice Procedures for Humanitarian Assistance Operations: FM 100-23-1

By definition, NGOs and PVOs must be non-profit, receive at least some of their funding from private sources, and work in international aid.  

Some NGOs and PVOs (with the ICRC a notable exception) will cross borders without the approval of the host nations, and may be critical of atrocities.  Many NGOs are involved in helping the people of developing nations before disasters occur, which is often helpful in enabling relief efforts during emergencies.  They are also often willing to make long term commitments to communities, helping them rebuild.  Some of the better known NGOs, PVOs and IOs are:

American Council for Voluntary International Action (INTERACTION) 

 

The American Council for Voluntary International Action (INTERACTION) is a broadly based coalition of 152 American PVOs that work in international development, refugee assistance, public policy, and education of Americans about third world nations. Since 1984, INTERACTION has also played a significant role in disaster preparedness and response to disasters. It exists to complement and enhance the effectiveness of its member organizations and the private and voluntary agency as a whole. A grant from OFDA has helped this organization establish a professional forum for cooperation, joint planning, and exchange of information when a disaster occurs. However, it is unlikely that INTERACTION will operate within the country in need of assistance. Its work is executed in the US and is organized to maintain an effective liaison with USAID/OFDA. It acts as a coordinator at the staff level in meeting within the country in need.
American Friends of Action International Contre La Faire (AICF)  American Friends of Action International Contre La Faire (AICF) promote development efforts and provide emergency assistance in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. AICF focuses on primary health care, potable water, environmental sanitation, and agricultural based, income-generating projects. Its most basic commitment is to enhance local capacities at both community and central levels.
American Red Cross

 

The American Red Cross is a network of local Red Cross organizations provide prompt assistance in emergencies, including food, shelter, and first aid. The national Red Cross coordinates efforts with a variety of government, medical, and charity organizations to provide comprehensive disaster relief.

Catholic Relief Services

 

Catholic Relief Services provides direct aid to the poor, and tries to involve them in their own development.  In emergencies, it is often focused on providing trucks or other transportation to deliver food to people. It also provides non-food items such as blankets, cooking utensils, and seeds. It operates relief, welfare, and self-help programs in 74 countries to assist refugees, war victims, and other needy people. CRS emphasizes the distribution of food and clothing and the provision of primary health care. Its capability to provide technical assistance and social services has steadily increased in recent years.
Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere (CARE)

 

Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere (CARE), founded after World War II to enable Americans to help the people of Europe and Asia. Provides relief to tens of millions worldwide every year, including logistics, food aid, and camp management in humanitarian emergencies. 
Doctors Without Borders Doctors Without Borders is the world's largest independent international medical relief agency, provides aid to victims of armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters. Medicins Saris Frontiers (MSF) provides medical assistance to victims of disasters, accidents, and wars. The US organization is closely associated with its counterparts in Belgium, Holland, Spain, and France. Medical relief teams respond to more than 700 missions yearly to areas of conflict, refugee camps, national disaster sites, and areas lacking adequate health care facilities. Its particular area of expertise is emergency medicine, vaccinations, and basic hygiene services.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) The International Committee of the Red Cross is a unique NGO, since it alone is mandated by international law, namely the Geneva Code of 1949. 

It has both the right and the duty to intervene across borders in both national and international conflicts. 

The ICRC maintains neutrality in all instances, enabling it to carry out its mission unarmed in war zones. They therefore will refuse any participation that could be interpreted as partial to one side, including transportation from one side’s vehicles. They therefore maintain their own transportation (including airlift), communication, and logistics.  

Unfortunately, this has not helped them in recent years—the neutrality agreements were refused in the Iran-Iraq war, as well as in civil wars in Afghanistan and Sudan, and ICRC workers were murdered in Chechnya.  The ICRC monitors the treatment of Prisoners of War, and brokers relief assistance during war.

The International Medical Corps (IMC) The International Medical Corps (IMC) provides health care and establishes health training programs in developing countries and distressed areas worldwide. IMC specializes in areas where few other relief organizations operate. IMC's goal is to promote self sufficiency through health education and training. Its particular areas of expertise are immunizations and primary health care.
International Rescue Committee (IRC) Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee provides relief, protection, and resettlement services for victims of complex emergencies. The IRC assists refugees and internally displaced victims of war and civil strife. Services range from emergency relief and assistance programs to refugee resettlement in the United States. IRC monitors human services, delivery, and refugee processing for US resettlement. IRC can provide emergency medical support, public health, and small-scale water and sanitation capabilities.
Irish Concern Irish Concern is one of the foreign NGOs that receives funding from USAID/OFDA. Its primary area of expertise is supplementary and therapeutic feeding and sanitation.
Lutheran World Relief Lutheran World Relief, Incorporated (LWR) provides financial, material, and personnel support, usually through counterpart church-related agencies in the areas of disaster relief, refugee assistance, and social and economic development. LWR is also a provider of health care.
Oxford (UK) Committee for Famine Relief

 

Oxford (UK) Committee for Famine Relief: An international group of 11 autonomous Oxfam NGOs focused on eradicating poverty.  Provides food, water and sanitation in humanitarian emergencies.
Save the Children Save the Children gives emergency relief assistance to children and families, coordinating with other NGOs. Also focuses on education, rehabilitation, and development of infrastructure to improve longterm food supply.
Save the Children Federation/United Kingdom (SCF/UK) Save the Children Federation/United Kingdom (SCF/UK) programs are guided by a set of principles, which include identifying project goals and implementing projects, transferring necessary skills, encouraging self-help, and using available resources. This organization is more relief oriented than its US counterpart. It concentrates on providing supplementary feeding, seeds and tools, and general infrastructure.
United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UNDHA) The United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UNDHA) was established by the secretary-general early in 1992 with a mission to coordinate international HA efforts. UNDHA is intended to mobilize and coordinate international disaster relief, promote disaster mitigation (through the provision of advisory services and technical assistance), and promote awareness, information exchange, and the transfer of knowledge on disaster-related matters. UNDHA is responsible for maintaining contact with disaster management entities and emergency services worldwide and mobilizing specialized resources. The appointed UNDHA emergency coordinator has a crucial role in providing leadership to the UN team at the country level. UNDHA also coordinates with locally represented NGOs, PVOs, and IOs, as required. The emergency coordinator convenes the UN disaster management team (DMT) at country level, seeking unity of effort among all relief agencies.
United Nations Development Program United Nations Development Program: A high probability exists that UNDP representatives will be in country prior to the crisis. UNDP promotes the incorporation of disaster mitigation in development planning and funds technical assistance for all aspects of disaster management. A UNDP senior member is the coordinator for UN agencies, much as an ambassador is the coordinator for all US agencies in a country during a humanitarian crisis. The UNDP also provides administrative assistance support to the UNDHA coordinator and to the UNDMT.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is an organization also involved in long-range programs. It provides technical advice in reducing vulnerability and helps in the rehabilitation of agriculture, livestock, and fisheries. The organization emphasizes local food production. It also monitors food production, exports, and imports and forecasts any requirements for exceptional food assistance.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Responsibility for coordinating the response of the UN system to a refugee emergency normally rests with the UNHCR. In certain cases, the secretary-general may make special arrangements. Upon request of the secretary-general, UNHCR provides assistance to internally displaced persons. Governments are responsible for the security and safety of, assistance to, and law and order among refugees on their territory. UNHCR provides material assistance to refugees at the request of governments.
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is a relief-oriented organization. It attends to the well-being of children and pregnant and lactating mothers, especially child health, nutrition, and water. The activities of this organization may include social programs, child feeding (in collaboration with WFP), potable water, sanitation, and direct health intervention (in coordination with the World Health Organization [WHO]). UNICEF provides material assistance, related management, logistical support and technical assistance.
Volunteers for Technical Assistance (VITA)

 

Volunteers for Technical Assistance (VITA) provides the use of communications technologies in emergencies,  including a low-earth orbiting satellite, a series of independent short-wave packet radio systems, and  an electronic message delivery system that uses existing telephone networks.

World Food Program (WFP) The World Food Program (WFP) is the operational relief-oriented UN organization. It provides general food rations, feeding programs, and supplemental feeding activities to support rehabilitation, reconstruction, and risk-reducing development programs. Targeted food aid is directed toward special segments of the population. WFP mobilizes and coordinates the delivery of food aid from bilateral and other sources.
World Health Organization (WHO) The World Health Organization (WHO) is an organization involved more in long-range programs. It provides advice and assistance in all aspects of preventive and curative health care. This assistance includes the preparedness of health services for rapid response to disasters.
World Relief   World Relief provides assistance through local churches in both natural disasters and complex emergencies.
World Vision

 

World Vision provides food and other assistance such as blankets, clothing, and seeds, in emergencies. World Vision Relief and Development, Incorporated (WVRD or World Vision) provides cash, gifts in-kind, services in-kind, and technical resources for large-scale relief/rehabilitation, and development projects in over 90 countries throughout the world. Development programs include child survival, vitamin A distribution, prosthetics/handicap child development, and AIDS rehabilitation prevention and education.

What can you provide to NGOs, either as part of a UN peacekeeping force, a multinational effort, or simply the U.S. military?

While NGOs can serve many valuable roles, as outlined above, they are often reliant on the military, or the UN and its agencies, for assistance in such areas as security, transportation to the field or remote sites, communications, and sustaining logistical support for their own personnel.  The military provides tremendous assets in crises, including:

·        Speed: able to rapidly deploy many resources  

·        Security

·        Transportation: an unparalleled variety and number of land, air, and naval craft

·        Command, control, and communication: well-organized, defined chain of command and leadership

·        Logistics: able to maintain supply lines in all environments

·        Specialty Units, including

o       Deployable Field Hospitals, mobile surgical teams, and rapid evacuation capability

o       Preventive medicine teams and field laboratories—able to perform rapid epidemiologic assessments, vector control, field and water sanitation, and disease surveillance

o       Engineers, to repair or build key infrastructural elements

o       Civil Affairs, to assist with establishing order and necessary infrastructure

On a case-by-case basis, military authorities may provide some of this support to the NGOs. Further guidance can be found in Multiservice Procedures for Humanitarian Assistance Operations: FM 100-23-1.

*Reprinted from: Operational Medicine 2001,  Health Care in Military Settings, NAVMED P-5139, May 1, 2001, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy, 2300 E Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20372-5300

 


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