The ‘conflict paradox’: humanitarian access, localisation, and (dis)empowerment in Myanmar, Somalia, and Somaliland

Abstract

Since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, debates about the localisation of humanitarian aid have intensified. Dominant discourse focuses on reform, although calls for the broader decolonisation of aid are mounting. This paper examines the impact of neoliberal-inspired competition that incentivises institutional expansion and clashes with localisation. It introduces the concept of the ‘conflict paradox’ to illustrate how armed conflict and restricted humanitarian access for international actors can both empower and disempower local and national humanitarian actors (LNHAs). These themes are then demonstrated using case studies of Myanmar, Somalia, and Somaliland, revealing the potential for LNHAs to demand humanitarian system change, as well as the challenges to doing so. The paper concludes that for localisation to progress towards decolonisation, fundamental ideological shifts away from the neoliberal competitive mindset are essential. Notably, there is a need to move from low-quality localisation (subcontracting) to high-quality localisation grounded in solidarity and an emancipatory agenda.