In the last few years there has been a dramatic shift in security concerns for staff at all levels of humanitarian organizations. The protection offered by neutrality has virtually vanished in most parts of the world. Planned and intentional attacks on agency staff have increased exponentially and the numbers of humanitarian workers being killed or injured continues to climb. While such events are major tragedies for individuals, failures in field security can also significantly impact the ability of humanitarian organizations to conduct their work. Donors may hesitate to fund organizations with a poor security record, individuals may be reluctant to work for such organizations, and community members may fear working alongside field-based humanitarian agencies perceived as a security threat.
Although individual workers can do much to enhance their own safety and security, it is the organization's responsibility to ensure overall protection for staff and dependents. Security management must be a core component of all program design and implementation. Typically, organizations will delegate this responsibility to field-based managers, but as concerns over safety rise, so too do issues of liability and legal responsibility. And while the day to day management of safety and security can be delegated, overall responsibility will remain with the organization.
The role of the field manager in maintaining security for staff and programs is critical. Security management is based on common sense, but to be effective it requires a level of sophistication, knowledge, skills, and leadership that must be cultivated by organizations. Moreover, many donor agencies now require field staff to undergo security training prior to deployment as a pre-condition for funding approval. If you are a field manager en route to, or already in, a humanitarian effort in a dangerous environment, learning more about security management is strongly recommended. The resources listed on this page provide a starting point to enhance your expertise. In addition to the written resources, there are an increasing number of security training programs specifically designed for field management staff.
Supported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and drawing on the Reuters news service, this website features introductory briefs on humanitarian crises classified both geographically and topically.
This British government website lists travelers' security advisories by country, as well as a wide variety of general information and advice for travelers.
This U.S. government website lists current travel advisories from the State Department. Other areas of the site include more general travel advice geared toward U.S. citizens going abroad, as well as Consular Information Sheets about each country in the world.
Travel Warningswebsite Canadian Government's Consular Affairs
The Consular Affairs arm of Canada's Foreign Affairs office issues travel warnings and offers advice on basic travel precautions. The site also features detailed Travel Reports on each country.
This UN-affiliated website provides continuous updates on security issues and emergencies. Use the map under "Countries and Emergencies" to browse, or click the tab for "Latest Updates". You can also use the search field to search specific criteria.
This is a comprehensive website, with a number of online forums. There is also a section on safety and security that addresses personal safety, equipment security, security of a facility or compound, vehicle and convoy security, and information management. Also see their discussion of security for local people.
This nonprofit organization works as a consultancy and runs safety and security courses for field staff as well as managers and headquarters staff. Their site also features many security-related reports in its resources section.
Field staff are frequently required to work in extremely insecure situations. A practical way of improving security is through carefully designed and targeted staff training. In addition to improving safety and security, such training can contribute significantly to the effectiveness of humanitarian relief operations. The RedR Security Training Program is designed to address the needs of NGOs operating in insecure environments while also disseminating good practices to managers of field staff. You can also search for security trainings through other RedR chapter websites.
ICRC's detailed guidebook on safety and security in the field. The link above opens a PDF; note that the book can also be purchased in hard copy (see link in this page's print resources section).
CARE's security and safety manual assembles the best available information on how to work safely in today's humanitarian environment, and discusses policies, assessments, planning, and fundamental safety and security procedures. Follow the link to Chapter 7 to find material devoted to the sources of stress, stress indicators, and ways to prevent stress.
This manual is targeted towards field-level aid agency managers responsible for security of staff and assets, and offers a systematic step-by-step approach to security management. It reviews major threats, measures to prevent them, and guidelines on how to survive and manage an incident if it occurs. A number of crosscutting themes are explored that are relevant to risk control such as personal and team competency, clarity towards national staff, good communications, cultural issues, briefing and training, etc.
The handbook is intended as a managers' guide to setting up emergency operations for large-scale influxes and provides advice in a non-technical manner on how to tackle various aspects of emergency response.
This report briefly reviews a study that examines why some NGOs seem to be more secure than others operating in the same area. By looking at characteristics of NGOs that have and have not been targets, the study concludes that there may be some elements that contribute to higher risk.
This article examines the risks of aid work that stretch from terrorism to those less obvious but more common: stress, overwork and "burn-out", through to disease, accidents, and even loneliness or depression while tackling a crisis a long way from home. Rising pressures on staff have prompted a growing number of aid agencies to share information, set standards and take practical steps to ensure that the training, support and management they offer will keep workers safe so they can deliver the best results.
This article addresses the fact that contemporary humanitarian aid personnel are at risk of experiencing traumatic and daily cumulative stress. Eleven areas of situational and individual risk are proposed that are likely to have applicability across different contexts, countries, and people. Psychological adjustment, medical health, and staff security are discussed in relation to each of these factors, and ways of promoting safety and well-being are outlined.
This 2000 report describes the findings and recommendations resulting from an investigation into the support and management provided to workers in relief and development. Methods included a survey of 200 returned workers and discussions with employing agencies.
Print resources
Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workersbook Davis, J. and Lambert, R. (2002), Red R. (ITDG Publishing and RedR-Engineers for Disaster Relief, London)
Detailed guidebook from RedR on safety and security in the field.
Safety First: Protecting NGO Employees Who Work in Areas of Conflictbook Cutts, M. and Dingle, A. (1995), (Save the Children, London)
Save the Children's detailed guidebook on safety and security in the field.
ICRC's detailed guidebook on safety and security in the field. The link above leads to purchase options; note that the book can also be downloaded as a free PDF (see link in this page's online resources section).
