Inaugural Seminar for Dr Sauter as Levin Junior Research Fellow in Peace Studies at LMH, celebrating the first post in Peace Studies at Oxford. Followed by drinks.
The paradox of humanitarian neutrality is that when humanitarians adhere to neutrality, they can be perceived as less neutral by conflicting parties. By providing aid to all, including perceived enemies, and navigating blurred lines with various military actors, humanitarians face challenges in either maintaining or signalling neutrality. In my book manuscript, I challenge the prevailing assumption that non-state armed groups are the primary obstacle to humanitarian access. Instead, I demonstrate that autocratic governments and foreign military interventions often pose greater threats to the neutrality of humanitarian actors. Through empirical case studies, the study shows the repercussions for humanitarian actors and examines their varied approaches in managing these complexities in the field.