Field Exchange - Issue 18

The politics of humanitarian needs and how needs are currently assessed are two main themes of this edition of Field Exchange. George Kararach, in his article on nutrition assessments in Zimbabwe, emphasises the political nature of the crisis in Zimbabwe and how this in turn has impacted on the way in which assessments have been conducted and interpreted. He argues that technical considerations have, in some instances, been swept away in favour of pragmatic political considerations, and he describes how the government and humanitarian community are sometimes at odds because of their differing agenda.