Public communication strategies of international humanitarian organizations

The article studies the public communication strategies of large humanitarian NGOs
as well as UN organizations with regard to the humanitarian principles. It shows
that different strategies concerning impartiality vs. solidarity and independence
vs. subcontracting cause a wide diversity of humanitarian positions, which lead to
different types of public communication strategies. It also discusses several recent
trends and three scenarios concerning humanitarian public communication,
focusing on interaction with donors and the military, as well as the security
situation on the ground. The article concludes that it is essential for humanitarian
organizations to understand the different interpretations of the humanitarian
principles and that this will help in establishing a strategic approach toward public
communication at headquarters, as well as in the field.