Oxfam Report: Lack of Access Leaves Civilians Vulnerable

Lack of access to vulnerable populations in conflict zones leads to poor understanding of the hardships faced by such populations and creates barriers for effective responses, says a May 2011 Oxfam report. Protection of Civilians in 2010 reviews the impact armed conflicts has on the millions of civilians killed, raped, displaced, injured, or recruited by force in armed conflicts throughout the world in 2010. The report recommends that countries need to make the protection of civilians (PoC) a “cornerstone of domestic and foreign policies, and should use mediation and diplomatic tools to prevent violence and intervene at the earliest stage of a foreseeable crisis.”

According to Oxfam, PoC refers to efforts made by any actor to reduce the vulnerability of women, men, and children caught in conflict to violence, coercion, and deprivation of aid. PoC can take many forms, including:

• Humanitarian assistance aimed at saving lives, providing basic services, and keeping people safe
   
• Diplomatic initiatives to prevent or resolve conflicts
   
• Challenging violations of human rights and ending poverty, disease, and environmental degradation

Lack of access to civilians living or trapped in regions where there are no government or humanitarian actors usually results in inadequate, if any, relief efforts to meet their needs. For example, the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia has limited or blocked access to most of south-central Somalia, where almost one million civilians are trapped under al-shabab rule. This lack of presence means that it is unable to report or respond to the violence against civilians and aid workers outside of Mogadishu.