Researching security issues faced by nongovernmental organisations engaged on hazardous duties

Precisely because humanitarian workers generally have greater access to the victims of conflict and are thus active among those who themselves are so often the target of military operations, the field staff of humanitarian organizations are exposed to greater risks than in the past.

The nature of armed conflict has changed. So have the aims of the combatants. Today, most conflicts are internal and the political and military goals motivating them are becoming ever less clearly defined. The proliferation of poorly structured armed groups, often totally ignorant of international rules, does much to aggravate the situation. To make matters still worse, economic interests, as well as criminal gangs engaged in drug and weapons trafficking, are all too often involved.