Os desafios da ação humanitária clássica: um estudo de caso do Comitê Internacional da Cruz Vermelha no Afeganistão

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the challenges of classical humanitarian practice, which has defining characteristics the principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality, in the context of the Afghanistan conflicts that occurred in post-Cold War. For this study, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), assumed as the cradle of international classical humanitarianism, was taken by analysis. For this study it takes into account changes in trends in humanitarian action, and in the sphere of assistance to victims, in accordance with a normative and legal basis of international humanitarian law, in the context of "new wars". In the contemporary paradigm, the humanitarian mandate has been dedicated to the performance of countries and international state institutions in violent conflicts. Assuming that underdevelopment is the main cause of perpetuation of internal conflicts, the justifications are to guarantee and protect human rights, and to promote liberal development, peace and democratic in the medium and long term. In order to carry out the debate proposed here, the following topics were addressed: the “new humanitarianism”, which includes the apparent interest in foreign policy; the priority of militarization and politicization of humanitarian services; the dimensions of classical humanitarianism; the context of Afghanistan, which shows the configuration; and the effects and risks for the ICRC. In these new circumstances, some of the dilemmas of the “War on terror” arise, which further stimulated the conditionality and selectivity of the victims, which was in particular the discourse against the Taliban in Afghanistan. At the same time, conditionality left thousands of other people at risk. Understanding this scenario is necessary to understand the identity distortions of classical humanitarianism, and their consequences on the safety of professionals and the care of victims in non-state armed conflicts.