Blinded by Humanity: Inside the UN's Humanitarian Operations

by Martin Barber, Lord Malloch-Brown (Foreword by)

Overview

Martin Barber was a senior UN official and has extensive experience in humanitarian affairs and peace operations - both at UN Headquarters and in the field. His last UN post before retirement was as Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) at UN Headquarters in New York from 2000 until 2005. 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780857738066
Publisher:	I.B.Tauris
Publication date:	10/29/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Martin Barber was a senior UN official and has extensive experience in humanitarian affairs and peace operations – both at UN Headquarters and in the field. He served as Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) at UN Headquarters in New York from 2000 until his retirement from the UN in 2005. Previously, he was Chief of Policy Development and Advocacy in the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). From 1996 to 1998, Dr Barber was Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH), Sarajevo. From 1989 to 1996, he worked with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA) in Islamabad, Pakistan, serving as UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan in 1995-96. From 1975 to 1982 he served with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Laos and Thailand. Between 1982 and 1989, he was Director of the British Refugee Council, London. From 2010 to 2013, Barber served as Senior Adviser in the Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid in the Government of the United Arab Emirates. He is now a consultant and analyst working on humanitarian issues. He holds a doctorate in South-East Asian Sociology from the University of Hull and is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh. In 2006, he was made an OBE for services to de-mining.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations
Foreword by Lord Malloch-Brown
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Starting Out – in Laos
2. Across the Mekong – with Indo-Chinese Refugees in Thailand
3. Refugees, Asylum-seekers and IDPs – the View from Europe in the 1980s
4. Afghanistan – The Missed Opportunities
5. Crisis in Europe's Backyard – Coordinating International Efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina
6. A Secretary General from the United Nations - Kofi Annan's Impact on how the UN Deals with Crises
7. Landmines - The Hidden Mutilators
8. Aid from Arabia – Lessons for the West?
9. Pulling it All Together – Coordination of International Response to Crises
10. Blinded by Humanity
Appendix – 'How can I get a job with the United Nations?'
Suggested Further Reading
Acronyms
Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Every humanitarian, and new recruit to the UN, would benefit from reading (this book)." – Lord Malloch-Brown
"Sometimes understanding humanitarian work and the workings of the UN seems insurmountably complex. Martin Barber's book is an essential tool to break through the complexities and understand various aspects of humanitarian assistance and the UN." – Jody Williams
"Humanitarian efforts are either too often dominated by academics with no practical experience or practitioners unguided by research. Martin Barber has managed to combine the two in this valuable merger of real life experience and knowledge."-Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council
"A fascinating read that will be of great interest to all those concerned with how the UN and the UN system actually works." – Mats Berdal, Professor of Security and Development, King's College London
"Blinded by Humanity is an engaging examination of the UN's efforts to accomplish its humanitarian aims and political goals, which at times may seem at cross purposes. Martin Barber's wide experience and frank analysis will interest UN watchers and humanitarian activists alike because it provides valuable insights on how to make the UN a more effective instrument for peace, security and human rights." – Kofi Annan

From the Publisher