Political Science

Africa's long fight for humanitarian self-sufficiency

Document Type

Book Chapter

Abstract

Since the 1960s, Africa has attracted significant international humanitarian action. Though African governments and societies have always organised their own responses, these get ignored in research that prioritises external humanitarian efforts. This chapter examines how African civil society, governments, and intergovernmental organisations organise to help disaster victims. Besides highlighting disasters, funding, and civil society organisation, it uses Ethiopia to discuss prospects and challenges of building a homegrown governance in Africa. Ethiopia has developed elaborate institutions that cover everything from community level response to funding practices by international organisations in the country. However, governments struggle to translate policies into long-lasting organisational structures. As weak economies, crises, and inconsistency in policy implementation have left African countries dependent on external assistance, responses across Africa occur with underfunded homegrown structures overshadowed by better funded external actors. Though localisation can reinforce homegrown structures and to secure external support, the chapter concludes that building self-sufficient homegrown systems remains the responsibility of Africans.

Publication Title

Handbook on Humanitarianism and Inequality

Publication Date

2-2024

First Page

443

Last Page

457

ISBN

9781802206555

DOI

10.4337/9781802206555.00042

Keywords

Africa, localisation, Ethiopia, humanitarianism, integration, self-sufficiency

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