NGO Security
IFRC Aid Workers Leave Chad After Threat
04/07/08 08:27
Aid workers from the International Federation of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have been
temporarily pulled out of Chad after an unstated but
specific security threat. IFRC staff have been
supporting the Chadian Red Cross.
Red Cross aid workers leave Chad after threat
Red Cross aid workers leave Chad after threat
|
Two Merlin staff killed in Afghanistan
27/06/08 08:19
On 19 June unidentified armed men killed two Merlin
staff members at a medical clinic in Kunduz. Dr.
Sayid Masoom, the clinic head, and Mohammad Ewazewaz,
the unarmed duty guard for the clinic, were fatally
shot in the attack.
You can read Merlin’s statement at the link below.
You can read Merlin’s statement at the link below.
Justice for Muttur Video
21/06/08 15:18
ACF is calling for an international investigation
into the Muttur Massacre, the killing of seventeen
aid workers in Sri Lanka in 2006. You can help by
visiting the Justice for Muttur
site.
The WolfGroup
19/06/08 08:51
Raj Rana is back online with his new company’s
website. The WolfGroup is a consulting group with
expertise in civil-military relations, post-conflict
peace building, critical incident management, NGO
security, risk management, protection and advocacy.
Recommended!
Don’t let the murder of 17 aid workers go unpunished!
18/06/08 17:55
On 4 August 2006, 17 aid workers were murdered in the
town of Muttur in Sri Lanka. No one has been held to
account for this outrageous slaughter of
humanitarians dedicated to feeding the world’s
hungry.
ACF is calling for an international investigation in order to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the Muttur massacre and to find those responsible. You can find a link to their petition below. If you can find it in your heart to help please sign it. If you are a blogger please write about it and link to the Justice for Muttur site.
ACF is calling for an international investigation in order to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the Muttur massacre and to find those responsible. You can find a link to their petition below. If you can find it in your heart to help please sign it. If you are a blogger please write about it and link to the Justice for Muttur site.
NGOs Looted after Rebel Attack in Eastern Chad
15/06/08 06:30
Looting has been widespread in the eastern Chadian
town of Goz Beida after the town
was attacked and seized by rebels over the
weekend. Armed men looted several NGO compounds
while other compounds were struck by small arms
fire. It also appears that one NGO compound
burned after fuel supplies caught fire.
EUFOR, deployed to protect Sudanese and Chadian refugees, has reported that it has been providing armed escorts for aid workers seeking shelter in the nearby EUFOR camp.
It is likely that the government will attempt to retake the town over the next couple of days. Any government counter attack will likely be accompanied by air strikes. NGOs should plan accordingly.
EUFOR, deployed to protect Sudanese and Chadian refugees, has reported that it has been providing armed escorts for aid workers seeking shelter in the nearby EUFOR camp.
It is likely that the government will attempt to retake the town over the next couple of days. Any government counter attack will likely be accompanied by air strikes. NGOs should plan accordingly.
Some 300,000 Sudanese
refugees who have fled the Darfur conflict live in
camps in Eastern Chad. 187,000 Chadians displaced by
fighting in Chad have also sought sanctuary in IDP
camps in the area.
Rebels attack eastern Chadian town, aid worker
says
Officials:
Rebels attack in eastern Chad
Aid Workers Attacked by Camp Residents
13/06/08 08:43
On 12 June 2008 two aid workers were attacked at De
Klerks Oord Centre in South Africa. A man with a
knife attempted to attack one Red Cross volunteer
before disappearing in the crowd. Another aid worker
was slightly hurt when camp residents pelted them
with stones, bread and bones.
The De Klerks Oord Centre serves as a shelter for 2,000 immigrants who were displaced by last month's xenophobic violence in Pretoria North.
The De Klerks Oord Centre serves as a shelter for 2,000 immigrants who were displaced by last month's xenophobic violence in Pretoria North.
Abduction of Sri Lankan Aid Worker
12/06/08 18:58
Sebastian Goodfellow, a Sri Lankan driver for the
Norwegian Refugee Council, a humanitarian
organization working in Sri Lanka, has not been seen
since May 15. It is feared that he has been abducted,
possibly by an armed group operating with the tacit
support of the security forces.
You can help by going to Amnesty International’s Online Action Center and send a message to President Mahinda Rajapakse and Ambassador Bernard A. B. Goonetilleke.
If you are a blogger please help by linking to the Action Center’s message page.
You can help by going to Amnesty International’s Online Action Center and send a message to President Mahinda Rajapakse and Ambassador Bernard A. B. Goonetilleke.
If you are a blogger please help by linking to the Action Center’s message page.
Gunmen kill senior aid worker, driver in Mogadishu
12/06/08 07:32
Mohamed Abdulle Mahdi, the head of the Woman and
Child Care aid agency (WOCCA), was killed by
unidentified gunmen in Somalia on Wednesday 11 June
2008.
The gunmen opened fire on Mahdi’s car as he was travelling through the Suqbad neighborhood of Mogadishu. Mahdi’s driver was also killed in the incident.
Gunmen kill humanitarian chief, driver in Mogadishu: aid worker
Top Somali aid worker shot dead
The gunmen opened fire on Mahdi’s car as he was travelling through the Suqbad neighborhood of Mogadishu. Mahdi’s driver was also killed in the incident.
Gunmen kill humanitarian chief, driver in Mogadishu: aid worker
Top Somali aid worker shot dead
30% of aid money is spent on security for aid agencies?
12/06/08 07:32
If you read this blog you’ve probably already seen the article above. I almost didn’t read it because it looked like yet another “aid is inefficient and ineffective article”. It was the reference to NGO security costs that caught my eye. According to Integrity Watch Afghanistan, “Between 15 to 30 percent of aid money is spent on security for aid agencies, the IWA report said...”
What? Really? Where did those numbers come from? Given the difficulty I’ve had in finding money for things as simple as burglar resistant doors and decent fencing I really have my doubts.
If you download the full report you’ll see this:
For instance, the contracted security of the Kabul-Kandahar road during its reconstruction* prevented the disarmament of the equivalent of a whole private militia. Serious estimates put the number of armed guards who were used by the aid agencies at tens of thousands. An estimated 15 to 30 percent of aid money has been spent on security.
Maybe that’s where things got confused. To be clear the meaning of the statement “15 to 30 percent of aid money has been spent on security” is nowhere near the same as, “Between 15 to 30 percent of aid money is spent on security for aid agencies...” While considerable donor money might go to ‘security’ in Afghanistan it includes things like security sector reform, demining, counter-narcotics, police training, etc. This is not the same thing as “security for aid agencies.”
I’m pretty confident that aid agencies are not spending 15 to 30 percent of their budgets on their own security. I know mine isn’t. Most NGOs do not use armed guards and security budgets are generally small even if you include what are traditional safety costs.
* To the best of my knowledge the vast majority of the work done on the Kabul-Kandahar road was done by private contractors, not aid workers.
Safer Access gets it!
10/06/08 05:19
I can’t believe I never blogged about Safer
Access before. Its not that I didn’t know
they were there. Its just that somehow I didn’t
give them the attention they deserve. That is
until I noticed this paragraph on their website.
Be sure to check out their open source security documents and assessments. There are documents covering topics from personal trauma kits to laptop security as well as security assessments for a number of countries.
Imagine that. No exclusive copyrights. No caveats. No weasel words. No “if you use our security manual we’ll sic our lawyers on you”. Just open source safety and security information provided for the benefit of the humanitarian community.Safer Access supports the open-source philosophy, and seeks to apply it to humanitarian access issues involving safety and security. Safer Access training documents and best practice are not regarded as proprietary material, and are intended to be shared widely and discussed within the humanitarian community as an open source resource. This philosophy, when applied to vital information and training, reflects our desire to ensure that our support reaches all of those that are in need.
Be sure to check out their open source security documents and assessments. There are documents covering topics from personal trauma kits to laptop security as well as security assessments for a number of countries.
Volunteer Aid Worker Killed by 'Freak Wave'
09/06/08 12:08
On 3 June 08 an Irish volunteer aid worker drowned in
Ghana after a freak wave dragged her out to sea.
Natalie Higgins was paddling with two colleagues at the water's edge when the wave struck and pulled all three into the Gulf of Guinea. A rescue effort managed to save her friends but Natalie was pulled under water. Her body was found a while later.
Natalie had been in Ghana for 10 days as part of what was to be a three month stint with UK-based Projects Abroad.
Body of drowned aid worker flown home.
'Freak wave' killed aid worker.
Natalie Higgins was paddling with two colleagues at the water's edge when the wave struck and pulled all three into the Gulf of Guinea. A rescue effort managed to save her friends but Natalie was pulled under water. Her body was found a while later.
Natalie had been in Ghana for 10 days as part of what was to be a three month stint with UK-based Projects Abroad.
Body of drowned aid worker flown home.
'Freak wave' killed aid worker.
Old Choices Come Back to Haunt NGOs in Afghanistan.
08/06/08 16:55
The Ghosts of Alexander have a great post on the
The Politicization and Militarization of Aid to
Afghanistan. As the ghosts quite rightly point
out the process did not begin in 2001. It began much
earlier and NGOs are still feeling the impact today.
To quote the ghosts again, “All it takes is for either the US, the Taliban, the locals or the central government to see it as political and becomes so...” Unfortunately that means your organization’s carefully crafted, acceptance based, security strategy disappears along with your perceived neutrality.
Read the whole post to see how your NGO’s choice of friends in the 80’s might be affecting your security today.
To quote the ghosts again, “All it takes is for either the US, the Taliban, the locals or the central government to see it as political and becomes so...” Unfortunately that means your organization’s carefully crafted, acceptance based, security strategy disappears along with your perceived neutrality.
Read the whole post to see how your NGO’s choice of friends in the 80’s might be affecting your security today.
More Cartoons and More Threats
05/06/08 20:18
A Norwegian newspaper recently published a drawing of
a man with Turban, having his clothes open and
displaying a t-shirt with the text: "I am Mohammed,
no one dares to print me”. The artist says that the
half naked caricature represents the naked face of
terrorism. However, it is fairly obvious that others
may interpret the cartoon differently.
The drawing seems to be circulating quickly on Arabic websites.
In an apparently unrelated, but likely synergistic threat, AQ seems to include Norway as well as other EU countries on its target list as the story below highlights.
NGOs would be wise to monitor the situation closely. Any indicator of negative reactions to the new cartoon should be taken seriously and any necessary risk reduction and mitigation measures implemented.
The drawing seems to be circulating quickly on Arabic websites.
In an apparently unrelated, but likely synergistic threat, AQ seems to include Norway as well as other EU countries on its target list as the story below highlights.
NGOs would be wise to monitor the situation closely. Any indicator of negative reactions to the new cartoon should be taken seriously and any necessary risk reduction and mitigation measures implemented.
Islamabad Bomb Damages Local NGO
03/06/08 07:30
The
building of a local NGO, Devolution Trust for
Community Empowerment, was damaged in an apparent
VBIED attack on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad.
Dozens of its staff were reported to have been
injured by flying glass. A spokesperson for the NGO
said that the organization had been concerned about
their location across the street from the embassy.
more
more
Canadian Aid Worker Kidnapped in Haiti Released
30/05/08 06:42
Gunmen Threaten INGO Staff in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
23/05/08 12:36
Gunmen in civilian clothing have reportedly
threatened INGO staff and local residents in
Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. In one incident an INGO staff
member had a weapon pointed at his head.
Young gunmen in civilian clothing have caused a series of disturbances on the town streets in recent days, threatening civilians and aid workers in broad daylight.
At least one International NGO has gone into hibernation until the situation stabilizes.
Young gunmen in civilian clothing have caused a series of disturbances on the town streets in recent days, threatening civilians and aid workers in broad daylight.
At least one International NGO has gone into hibernation until the situation stabilizes.
Medecins du Monde Aid Worker Kidnapped in Haiti
23/05/08 10:47
How Many Kidnapped Aid Workers?
22/05/08 13:27
Sometimes the mainstream media really makes my blood
boil. You may recall that on 21 May three
aid workers were kidnapped by gunmen in
Somalia. The headlines that came in on my
news feeds were maddening.
First off the mark was DawnNews via Twitter with the headline "Two Italians among three aid workers kidnapped in Somalia." OK, so we have two Italians and somebody else. Maybe they just don't know his nationality yet.
"Two Italians kidnapped in Somalia" - PRESS TV Hmmm... what about the other guy?
"Italian aid workers kidnapped in Somalia" - Independent Online
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers" - Reuters South Africa OK... so maybe its just two Italians?
"Officials say gunmen kidnapped aid workers" - Reuters Or maybe the other person wasn't an aid worker?
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers: officials" - Reuters
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers: officials" - Washington Post
"Witness: Somali gunmen seize 2 Italian aid workers" - The Associated Press Just two Italians I guess.
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers-officials" - AlertNet Newsdesk
"Witness, diplomat: Somali gunmen seize 2 Italians" - The Associated Press
"Somalia: Two Italian aid workers kidnapped" - آكي adnkronos
"Somali official: Gunmen seize 3 aid workers" - The Associated Press Five hours after the DawnNews report the AP editor realizes that it was three aid workers.
"Somali official: Abduction of 3 aid workers, including 2 Italians ..." - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
"Somali official: Gunmen seize 3 aid workers" - The Associated Press
"Somali official: Gunmen seize 3 aid workers" - Adal Voice of Eritreans
"Somali official: Abduction of 3 aid workers, including 2 Italians" - Adal Voice of Eritreans
"Gunmen Seize 2 Italians, One Somali Aid Worker In Somalia" AHN via Hiiraan Online. And finally Hiiraan Online points out that there is such a thing as a Somali aid worker.
Of the seventeen headlines that crossed my virtual desk more than half would have had me believe that only two aid workers were kidnapped. Seven of seventeen acknowledged that in fact three aid workers were kidnapped. Only one clearly identified the nationality of the Somali aid worker.
With headlines like these it is no wonder that so many national staff in INGOs feel like the second class citizens of the aid world.
First off the mark was DawnNews via Twitter with the headline "Two Italians among three aid workers kidnapped in Somalia." OK, so we have two Italians and somebody else. Maybe they just don't know his nationality yet.
"Two Italians kidnapped in Somalia" - PRESS TV Hmmm... what about the other guy?
"Italian aid workers kidnapped in Somalia" - Independent Online
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers" - Reuters South Africa OK... so maybe its just two Italians?
"Officials say gunmen kidnapped aid workers" - Reuters Or maybe the other person wasn't an aid worker?
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers: officials" - Reuters
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers: officials" - Washington Post
"Witness: Somali gunmen seize 2 Italian aid workers" - The Associated Press Just two Italians I guess.
"Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers-officials" - AlertNet Newsdesk
"Witness, diplomat: Somali gunmen seize 2 Italians" - The Associated Press
"Somalia: Two Italian aid workers kidnapped" - آكي adnkronos
"Somali official: Gunmen seize 3 aid workers" - The Associated Press Five hours after the DawnNews report the AP editor realizes that it was three aid workers.
"Somali official: Abduction of 3 aid workers, including 2 Italians ..." - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
"Somali official: Gunmen seize 3 aid workers" - The Associated Press
"Somali official: Gunmen seize 3 aid workers" - Adal Voice of Eritreans
"Somali official: Abduction of 3 aid workers, including 2 Italians" - Adal Voice of Eritreans
"Gunmen Seize 2 Italians, One Somali Aid Worker In Somalia" AHN via Hiiraan Online. And finally Hiiraan Online points out that there is such a thing as a Somali aid worker.
Of the seventeen headlines that crossed my virtual desk more than half would have had me believe that only two aid workers were kidnapped. Seven of seventeen acknowledged that in fact three aid workers were kidnapped. Only one clearly identified the nationality of the Somali aid worker.
With headlines like these it is no wonder that so many national staff in INGOs feel like the second class citizens of the aid world.
Three Aid Workers Kidnapped in Somalia
21/05/08 10:24
Three aid workers from Cooperazione Italiana Nord Sud
were kidnapped by gunmen on 21 May in the Lower
Shabelle region of Somalia. Two Italians, one male
and one female, and a male Somali colleague were
kidnapped early in the morning in the village of
Awdhegle.
Two Italians among three aid workers kidnapped in Somalia: officials
Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers-officials
Witness: Somali gunmen seize 2 Italian aid workers
Two Italians among three aid workers kidnapped in Somalia: officials
Somali gunmen kidnap two Italian aid workers-officials
Witness: Somali gunmen seize 2 Italian aid workers
Military Humanitarian Relief?
20/05/08 14:06
Mother Jones has an interesting article that outlines
the tensions between
NGOs and military forces' involvement in
what the US military calls "stability
operations." While it should be nothing new to
the experienced NGO security practitioner it is
a good primer for those who may not understand
the debate.
Red Cross Website Hacked to Steal Quake Relief Donations
19/05/08 16:08
A section of the Chinese Red Cross website has
reportedly been hacked. Apparently the hacker gained
access to the website and created four fraudulent
bank accounts to steal earthquake relief funding. If
you can read Chinese you can read the report here. Otherwise check
out the link attached to the graphic below. Read
the
full report from The Dark Visitor.
Crossing Borders with your Laptop
18/05/08 16:27
Recent media coverage of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals' decision to
allow border agents to search travellers laptops
without cause has inspired a lot of coverage in
tech media circles. However, as an aid worker it is
important to remember that the US border is not the
only place where your laptop can be searched. Aid
workers have reported having their laptops searched
by authorities in Sudan, and Pakistan. Sri Lankan
security forces frequently demand access to aid
worker's laptops when they are entering LTTE
controlled areas or travelling by to or from Jaffna.
In one case they even
seized the computer of the Executive Director of an
NGO.
So how do you keep prying eyes from accessing your sensitive files while travelling? The EFF has some good advice for protecting your laptop from arbitrary searches. Bruce Schneier has his take as well. Finally you shouldn't overlook Front Line's "Digital Security and Privacy for Human Rights Defenders".
So how do you keep prying eyes from accessing your sensitive files while travelling? The EFF has some good advice for protecting your laptop from arbitrary searches. Bruce Schneier has his take as well. Finally you shouldn't overlook Front Line's "Digital Security and Privacy for Human Rights Defenders".
Gunmen Kill Aid Worker in Southern Somalia
18/05/08 14:29
The director of the Somali aid organization Horn
Relief was killed by masked gunmen as he arrived at
his house in Kismayo, Somalia late Saturday.
According to village elders the reason for the
killing of Ahmed Bariyow was not readily apparent.
The killing comes as central Somalia enters a humanitarian emergency amid fears of a full blown famine.
Press TV: Somali aid organizer shot dead.
The killing comes as central Somalia enters a humanitarian emergency amid fears of a full blown famine.
Press TV: Somali aid organizer shot dead.
Kidnapped Aid Workers Released in Pakistan
18/05/08 08:36
Darfur 'No Fly Zone'?
14/05/08 08:15
According to sources the Government of Sudan is
creating a 'no fly zone' for UN and humanitarian
operations in Darfur. There are contradictory reports
of airport closures and the grounding of flights.
Nyala and El Fasher airstrips were closed on 13 May.
NGO security advisors are advised to reassess their medical evacuation plans for Darfur. The lack of reliable aeromedical evacuation capability increases the threat to life and limb of even relatively minor medical events.
NGO security advisors are advised to reassess their medical evacuation plans for Darfur. The lack of reliable aeromedical evacuation capability increases the threat to life and limb of even relatively minor medical events.
WFP Head of Sub-office Killed by Gunmen in Northwestern Kenya
09/05/08 17:18
On Wednesday, 7 May 2008, gunmen shot dead
37-year-old Zimbabwean Silence Chirara outside a UN
compound in Lokichoggio, north of Nairobi, near the
border with southern Sudan. He was ambushed while
driving a clearly marked UN vehicle.
See also:
UN food agency shocked by killing of staffer in Kenya
Zimbabwean Aid worker killed in Kenya
KENYA / GUNMEN KILL WFP HEAD OF SUB-OFFICE IN NORTHWESTERN KENYA « APO-SOURCE : The African News Source via kwout
See also:
UN food agency shocked by killing of staffer in Kenya
Zimbabwean Aid worker killed in Kenya
Another WFP contracted driver killed in Somalia
09/05/08 08:42
On 7 May another WFP contracted driver was killed by
militiamen at an illegal checkpoint in Somalia. The
incident occurred when 12 WFP contracted trucks were
stopped at gunpoint at a checkpoint 30 km north of
Galkayo. The driver was injured and later died when a
gunman opened fire on the trucks.
A similar incident occurred on 13 February when the leader of a WFP contracted aid convoy was shot and killed by militia in southern Somalia.
A similar incident occurred on 13 February when the leader of a WFP contracted aid convoy was shot and killed by militia in southern Somalia.
Sending GPS Coordinates from your Thuraya to Twitter
03/05/08 08:27
Aid Worker Daily has instructions
for sending GPS co-ordinates from your Thuraya
satellite phone to Twitter via an SMS message.
This might come in handy if you get into trouble
and need help like James
Karl Buck.
Save the Children Aid Worker Killed in Chad
02/05/08 12:29
Save the Children aid worker, Pascal Marlinge, was
shot and killed by armed men in Chad on 1 May 2008.
The link below has more detail from Save the
Children.
UNDP Worker Arrested with Pistol - Snarky Comments Follow
01/05/08 11:26
This article about a UNDP worker being arrested while
carrying a pistol is interesting but its the comments
that stand out. Some are funny... some just sad. What
does it say about acceptance as a security strategy
in Sri Lanka? Have we been doing a good job
communicating what it is we do and who we are?
WVI Employment Fraud Warning
30/04/08 09:42
World Vision International is warning that fraudulent
recruiters are bilking applicants out of "training"
and "recruitment" fees. If you have received any of
these bogus offers please help out by forwarding them
to emp_fraud@wvi.org.
