Humanitarian Partnerships Under Fire: A Case Study of Somalia

As a consequence of the deteriorating insecurity in Somalia, international aid
organizations have dramatically scaled down their field presence since 2006.
Operations on the ground have been increasingly carried out through local partners
and staff via remote management: a model which has challenged traditional
operational modalities and brought many ethical dilemmas. This work aims to create
better understanding of humanitarian partnerships in this context, outlining the impact
of remote management on the dynamics between local and international humanitarian
actors. The study is based on a literature review and 18 interviews with humanitarian
practitioners and researchers. This work posits that while international actors often
doubt the capacities of local actors and their ability to deliver aid, the reality reveals
local actors have a better capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance in Somalia
today. The central role of local actors in Somalia has created an opportunity for
international actors to support them: by equipping them to respond and developing
support systems for any up-coming crisis.