Microfinance in War-Affected Countries: Challenging the Myths

This issue of the Humanitarian Exchange examines the “accountability revolution”. It argues that the responsibility and accountability for responding to human crises rests primarily with the government of the country in crisis, and with the international community.

Contributors to the newsletter examine the following issues:

• John Mitchell reviews three broad approaches to accountability in human response, in particular, the accountability of operational organizations;
• Maurice Herson explores the particular nature of humanitarian accountability in the light of efforts to improve accountability to the beneficiaries;
• Joanne Macrae and Adele Harmer look at a new initiative that aims to improve donor accountability;
• Caroline Ford examines the responsibility of states for recognizing and responding to humanitarian crisis, and the means for holding them to account;
• Asmita Naik examines the sexual exploitation of refugees in West Africa and draws lessons about accountability in practice in the humanitarian aid world;
• Austen Davis questions whether the system-wide accountability structures and mechanisms, which many believe are needed, would be beneficial, or even possible.

The newsletter also contains articles on a range of other policy and practice issues, such as:

• Facing the challenges of post-conflict transition for essential public services, health systems, national budgets and income generation;
• The applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for humanitarian operations;
• The British Government’s humanitarian aid;
• The implication of the war on Iraq for humanitarian action.