Quote Originally Posted by Steve the Planner View Post

Post-conflict humanitarian aid is a whole different thing. Ask the Red Cross. Food, shelter, treatment, refugee/resettlement assistance.

Why don't our programs focus, for example, on documenting and resettling refugees? Isn't that a valid way to stabilize a community in conflict?
Steve,
IMO refugees and the crisis they bring are nothing but a huge cash cow. Not sure what sort of success you would have with documenting and resettling in Iraq, but I can tell you a lot about Sub-Sahara. It ain't happening. It kind of brings us back to your question though... What was here before and what will it take to bring it back ? Even then most of the refugees still hung out in the jungle until they were literally flushed out from another conflict.

And, oddly enough, even with 1,8 million refugees, the nation in question was still firmly in control (relatively speaking).

I share M-A's concerns with the UN and most of the aid agencies.