Day in and day out, the men and women of the United States Agency for International Development provide development assistance throughout the world, in environments that are not always safe.
I have been in the Foreign Service with USAID for 24 years and currently have the honor of leading the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance. Thursday I returned from Pakistan where I saw USAID’s team and the NGOs we support on the ground providing hope to millions of Pakistanis after the floods that devastated
20 percent of the country.
The United States Government, through USAID, requires the NGOs we fund to ”brand” the assistance they provide to people in need with the Agency’s handshake logo and the words “from the American people” in local languages. Branding is not just required by law; it ensures transparency when America provides aid. We believe that the people we help have a right to know where their assistance is coming from.
In fact, many Pakistani people often criticize USAID for not being more aggressive when it comes to branding our aid. The USAID handshake is an enduring symbol of America’s support for Pakistan, well known by many who saw it as children when the Agency was a major contributor to important infrastructure projects, including dams and hydro power plants that provided millions with crucial transportation links and power. During my visit last week, Pakistani NGOs urged me to better make our efforts known to the flood-affected victims, so they are able to appreciate that no country is doing more to help them than the United States. The U.S government , through USAID is the largest overall donor in Pakistan, and it is important that we are able to communicate those efforts to the people we are helping.
At the same time, USAID is highly sensitive to the risks of branding in environments where one’s association with foreigners can turn a humanitarian worker into a target. We are in constant contact with security personnel in country; and where the security risks warrant it, we will continue to grant waivers to the branding requirement for certain areas and limited periods of time.
For example, in Pakistan today, I have granted waivers for NGOs working in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. But Pakistan is a vast country and not a monolith. In other parts of the country ravaged by the floods, where security has not been an issue, we continue to require branding on our aid.
Weighing the balance between carrying out our mission with transparency and ensuring the security of our workers and our NGO partners in the field is a constant challenge. We welcome the opportunity to work with all of our implementing partners to ensure that we get the balance right.
I think US Army is having so much trouble now in Pakistan..
Taliban are becoming more powerful as stated by Karazai the president of Afghanistan who is afraid about his daughter to be harmed by Taliban
There was some very interesting data published this week on this very subject, related to the last tragic natural disaster to affect Pakistan. The report, In aid we trust : hearts and minds and the Pakistan earthquake of 2005 is available on the World Bank’s web site at:
http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165259&piPK=64165421&theSitePK=469372&menuPK=64216926&entityID=000158349_20101005131809
While branding is important, having aid workers on the ground is more so. Being able to speak and work directly with victims is crucial to spreading the word that the U.S. is dedicated to relief and recovery efforts. Therefore, in regions where anti-Americanism is high, branding may cause more danger than what it is worth. The worst case scenario would be for branding to lead to an attack on aid workers that then deterred future aid in that area. Even if making U.S. presence known is not as effective without branding, some people being reached is better than none.
I recently attended a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) round table where the Middle East Institute President spoke about this very issue. Her idea of success in Pakistan was strongly connected to making sure the people understand we are there for humanitarian reasons, not just to win people over. In her opinion this requires people on the ground. I agree with this point and am happy to see USAID being committed to their workers and cause by displaying such caution in branding.
If security is not an issue in other parts of Pakistan, beyond FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkwa, then why do US diplomats travel in armoured cars if they leave the confines of Islamabad? In Karachi, and I’m sure elsewhere, they also move around with close protection officers.
I think securely moving everywhere in Pakistan is very different from security issues around branding. Let’s not confuse them. I totally agree with Mark and Alyssa on using branding with caution in an environment, where one’s association with certain agencies can turn a humanitarian worker into a target. Regardless of how ill founded that perception is about the agency or even the worker. At the same time it’s also about finding the right balance (when and how to divulge) because people must know where the help is coming from. Not only that it’s their right, it is also, in my view, a good thing for Pakistan and Pakistanis.
Mr. Ward:
It is extremely encouraging to hear that USAID is making a real and significant impact in Pakistan as we are working with a worker-focused center in Lahore and constantly fear for their personal safety. Keep up the good work!
Later this year, we hope to create an American-Pakistani collaboration in the form of entrepreneurial business entity in Pakistan to manufacture inexpensive brick forming machines. The objective include creating skilled jobs, helping alleviate poverty among the brick making families and allowing 1,000′s of children to attend school…. and experience hope.
How might we work together to expand these humanitarian efforts?