The ‘conflict paradox’: humanitarian access, localisation, and (dis)empowerment in Myanmar, Somalia, and Somaliland

Abstract

Following the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, debates about the localisation of humanitarian aid have intensified. Dominant discourse focuses on reform, yet calls for the broader decolonisation of aid are growing. This paper examines the impact of neoliberal-inspired competition that incentivises institutional expansion and clashes with localisation. The paper introduces the concept of the 'conflict paradox' to illustrate how armed conflict and restricted humanitarian access for international actors can both empower and disempower local and national humanitarian actors (LNHAs). These themes are then demonstrated through case studies in Myanmar, Somalia and Somaliland, showing the potential, but also the challenges, for LNHAs to demand humanitarian system change. The paper concludes that for localisation to progress towards decolonisation, fundamental ideological shifts away from the neoliberal competitive mindset are essential. This includes the need to shift from low quality localisation (sub-contracting) to high quality localisation grounded in solidarity and an emancipatory agenda.