Terry, Fiona, Condemned to Repeat? The Paradox of Humanitarian Action

Abstract

Terry approaches this concern using case studies. The instance that she undoubtedly has in mind and wishes to understand more fully is the disaster of the Rwandan refugee camps in eastern Zaire. Terry takes a historical approach, analyzing cases of militarized refugee camps that preceded the Rwandan crisis. She explores the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan, the Salvadorian and Nicaraguan refugee camps in Honduras, and the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand to determine how humanitarian action has actually assisted combatant parties in the past and the extent to which relief agencies were aware of the potentially adverse effects of their actions. Terry concludes her case studies with an analysis of the Rwandan camps in Zaire and suggests that these paradoxes could largely have been avoided had organizations consistently and comprehensively evaluated the impact of their aid.