Bridging the Gap: A Guide to Improving Humanitarian Practice to Support Long-Term Food Security

Author(s)
Hamann, S.
Publication language
English
Pages
33pp
Date published
01 Oct 2013
Publisher
Humanitarian Coalition
Type
Tools, guidelines and methodologies
Keywords
Development & humanitarian aid, Food and nutrition, Food aid, Food security
Organisations
CARE International

These guidelines provide recommendations to humanitarian practitioners who intervene during acute phases of chronic food insecurity. They intend to contribute to the improvement of humani- tarian practice by pointing out strategies to bridge an existing gap between short-term humanitarian programming and longer-term development objectives. Based on interviews and focus group dis- cussions with experienced project staff involved in the 2012 Sahel drought response, this document addresses a number of features of humanitarian interventions that hamper the support of long-term food security objectives. These features include the time pressure that typically characterizes emergency interventions, the frequent lack of government capacities in intervention zones, restric- tive donor funding criteria, insufficient beneficiary involvement in humanitarian activities, and a lack of intra- and inter-agency coordination.