Humanitarianism and the military

Military forces have always to a greater or lesser extent interacted with humanitarian organisations. This chapter examines military-civilian interactions in various humanitarian contexts. It discusses the formation of humanitarian organisations which address the needs of soldiers and civilian victims of war and conflict, the involvement of national and international militaries in providing assistance and protection after disasters, as well as peacekeeping and military humanitarianism. The chapter also surveys opportunities and obstacles to military-civilian cooperation, which are not without tensions and are characterised by various inequalities, which are examined from an intersectional perspective. It reviews the contributions of military forces in disaster contexts and epidemics, technological developments, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction, and border work. Furthermore, the chapter discusses the extent of threats that peacekeepers pose to the populations they should protect and how the collaboration between humanitarian organisations and the military affects the security of civilian aid workers.