Politics and the Effectiveness of Humanitarian NGOs in Civil Conflict

Is the ability of humanitarian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to effectively improve the health and welfare of aid recipients affected by the source of the organization’s funding? This paper examines the effectiveness of humanitarian NGOs as a function of their funding sources, with a particular focus on civil conflict. I argue that NGOs whose revenue depends on private individual contributions suffer from accountability and coordination issues. Therefore, organizations that work with and accept funds from governments are more likely to be efficacious in improving health than those that eschew government funding. The argument is tested using original dataset of NGO programs and activities, and finds differences in the effectiveness of various types of organizations. The analysis speaks to scholars interested in governance, security studies, and foreign assistance, focusing on a stream of revenue and class of actor which have not been extensively analyzed in this manner. The findings, which can be used to improve organizational performance, are also highly salient to aid practitioners. Most importantly, the results are critical to the individuals these organizations assist, whose lives and welfare depend on effective and efficient aid. Acknowledgements: I thank Will Daniel, Reynaldo Rojo Mendoza, and Basak Yavcan Ural for translation assistance, and Nicole Nummelin at Médecins sans Frontières’, Caroline Conus at the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Frances Simpson of Oxfam for assistance in obtaining data. I also thank David Bearce, Daniela Donno, Jude Hayes, George Krause, Nita Rudra and Burcu Savun for helpful comments and suggestions. All errors remain my own.