Blinded by Humanity

How to respond effectively to humanitarian crises is one of the most pressing and seemingly intractable problems facing the United Nations. Martin Barber, for many years a senior UN official and with decades of humanitarian experience, here argues that the explanation for UN ‘failures’ or only partial successes lies not with any lack of idealism or good intentions but with the constraints placed on aid workers by ill-considered policies and poor practical application – officials are ‘blinded by humanity’.

Barber presents an inside story based on practical experience in Laos, Thailand, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and, finally, his work in Abu Dhabi for the Government of the UAE. All the major UN activities – and headaches – are here, including refugee work, coordinating humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, the huge problem of ‘de-mining’, and the complex internal workings of the UN Secretariat. Running through the narrative are major questions for the future of humanitarian operations - how effectively have the need

About the Author

Martin Barber was a senior UN official in humanitarian affairs and peace operations. His last post before retirement in 2005 was as Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) at UN Headquarters in New York.

Previous UN assignments include: Chief of Policy Development in the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Deputy Special Representative in Bosnia- Herzegovina and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan.

He is now a consultant and analyst working on humanitarian issues and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh.