This study examines the advantages, limitations and implications of involving foreign military assets—personnel, equipment and expertise—in the relief operations that follow major natural disasters. It presents the findings of a research project carried out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) with the support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Foreign military assets have made large contributions to several recent natural disaster relief operations, yet their use in such operations remains controversial. The questions asked range from matters of principle—is it appropriate for foreign forces to take part in humanitarian work?—to more practical considerations such as cost, how effectively foreign military assets can participate in civilian-led humanitarian operations and how the presence of foreign military assets affects the ability of civilian humanitarian organizations to act independently and safely.

This study provides an overview of the current use of foreign military assets in natural disaster response, including how and why they are deployed.

It also analyses the role played by foreign military assets in several major disaster relief operations: in Mozambique following the floods in 2000, in Haiti following floods and tropical storm Jeanne in 2004, in Aceh province, Indonesia, following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir following the South Asia earthquake of 2005.

Executive summary

This study examines the advantages, limitations and implications of using foreign military assets as part of the international response after major natural disasters. Humanitarian principle dictates that all available resources—including military assets—should be used to minimize the human cost of a natural disaster. In recognition of the fact that humanitarian relief is and should remain a predominantly civilian function, international norms have been established that place conditions and limitations on the use of foreign military assets in disaster relief operations: these assets should be used only if they meet a genuine humanitarian need, operate in accordance with humanitarian principles and complement and coordinate with the other components of the relief effort. Foreign military assets are and will remain a common feature of major international disaster relief assistance.

However, significant questions have been raised regarding their deployment, use and withdrawal. The outstanding problems and uncertainties need to be urgently addressed.

This study provides an overview of recent developments in the use of foreign military assets in response to major natural disasters, based on primary and secondary data. Four case studies of recent disaster relief operations that have involved major deployments of foreign military assets have been used to contextualize the general observations and give examples of good and bad practice. These case studies examine the responses to: floods and cyclones in Mozambique in 2000; the 2004 floods and tropical windstorms in Haiti; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (focusing on Aceh province, Indonesia); and the 2005 South Asian earthquake (focusing on Pakistan-administered Kashmir). ...

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Sharon Wiharta, Hassan Ahmad, Jean-Yves Haine, Josefina Löfgren and Tim Randall
Supported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Signalistgatan 9, SE-169 70 Solna, Sweden
Telephone: +46 8/655 97 00
Fax: +46 8/655 97 33
Email: sipri@sipri.org
Internet: http://www.sipri.org/

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About the authors

Hassan Ahmad (Singapore) was lead researcher for the Indonesia case study. He is the chief executive of the Singapore-based humanitarian NGO Mercy Relief. He has extensive field experience in the area of humanitarian relief and has planned, coordinated and led Singaporean civilian relief missions to Afghanistan (2002), Aceh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka (2004); Nias, Indonesia (2005); and Pakistan (2005). He was previously chief executive of the rural development NGO Lien Aid.

Dr Jean-Yves Haine (Belgium) was lead researcher for the Haiti case study. He is a researcher with the Euro-Atlantic, Regional and Global Security Project at SIPRI. He was previously a research fellow at the Government Department, Harvard University, a senior research fellow at the EU Institute for Security Studies in Paris and European Security Research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

Josefina Löfgren (Sweden) was a researcher for the study. She is a researcher and political analyst working in the fields of emergency relief, international education and conflict prevention. She has worked with several international organizations, government agencies and NGOs.

Tim Randall (United Kingdom) was lead researcher for the Pakistan case study. He is director of the Oxford Disaster Management Group, providing consultancy, research and operational support in the field of disaster management. Prior to this he was director of the Cranfield Disaster Management Centre, and an officer in the British Army. He has also worked for the UN and the British Department for International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the area of disaster management in around 40 countries.

Sharon Wiharta (Indonesia) was research coordinator for the study and lead researcher for the Mozambique case study. She is a researcher with the SIPRI Armed Conflict and Conflict Management Project at SIPRI, where she leads the project’s work on peacekeeping and peace-building.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute:

SIPRI is an independent international institute for research into problems of peace and conflict, especially those of arms control and disarmament. It was established in 1966 to commemorate Sweden’s 150 years of unbroken peace.

The Institute is financed mainly by a grant proposed by the Swedish Government and subsequently approved by the Swedish Parliament. The staff and the Governing Board are international. The Institute also has an Advisory Committee as an international consultative body.

Governing Board
Ambassador Rolf Ekéus, Chairman (Sweden)
Dr Willem F. van Eekelen, Vice-Chairman (Netherlands)
Dr Alexei G. Arbatov (Russia)
Jayantha Dhanapala (Sri Lanka)
Dr Nabil Elaraby (Egypt)
Rose E. Gottemoeller (United States)
Professor Mary Kaldor (United Kingdom)
Professor Ronald G. Sutherland (Canada)
The Director

Director
Bates Gill (United States)

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