Working around Conflict Research

There are specific patterns associated with delivery of aid to conflicting areas. Through assessment of previous engagements with the conflicting regions, there is sufficient literature which informs the humanitarian efforts to deal with or rather access deep violence-stricken areas. Conflicts take a lot of time and effort to end. In the process, food security is affected negatively. In fact, it is reasonable to infer that aid programs are frequently paralysed. To address the concept of conflict resolution, a model from conflict resolution organizations which purports that network building between states can lead to lower levels of conflict and a strategy to ensure cooperation amongst states7. In terms of conflict, I will use the concept of human security to address the types of conflict that hinder sustainable food security because it looks at who is targeted and needs the most protection and security8.

The types of conflict I want to focus on when addressing human security involve civil wars and violent revolutions that affect human security. WFP WFP assists over 91. 4 million people every year round in over 83 nations and war-torn areas. Up to 2 million of these people lack food security due to differing degrees of violence, infrastructural damage, and general violence. The conclusion The study will allow humanitarian organizations such as the World Food Programme to implement better strategies in conflict zones in order to determine how the international community should invest their time and money into the programs. In the long-term, this research can promote better strategies for achieving food security and in delivering food aid in areas of conflict. Research design Testable hypotheses H1: Change in strategies with food programmes from the traditional methodologies such as road delivery to conventional methods such as air delivery to save time by WFP based on the context of the country's needs has produced an asymmetrical improvement evidenced by disparities in distribution in food security.

H2: the level of success in securing food aid is measured by the ability to deliver to the right people based on the number of international organizations working alongside the WFP. -The number of international organizations collaborating with WFP. -Assessing the degree of food insecurity based on how many people are under the census of hungry people in the region within the years before and after the conflict. Methodology: -Based on the list of countries under the heading of ‘’Emergencies’’ provided by WFP’s website, I am using Yemen and Syria as case studies to measure the level of success rates in delivering food aid and the different set of challenges to overcome. I have chosen these cases since their conflict has a similar origin relating to the Arab spring, and its escalation to a civil war, and have similar actors to go deal with when providing aid.

The data on food security in conflict zones in 2018, along with situation reports from WFP dating back to 2016 until 2018 reveal their success in providing food aid and the obstacles. What is the historical background of crisis in both Syria and Yemen? 2. How did conflicts affect the social and economic performance of these counties? 3. What role has World Food Program played in serving the victims during the crisis in both countries and seeking to resolve the conflict? The primary objective of this research is to understand the conditions of World Food Program that can make it succeed in delivering food aid in conflict zones. Research hypotheses 1. Rating the success when delivering food is based on the ability to provide to the right victims at the right time considering other players who work alongside the World Food Program.

Hence, research design for this study implies a strategic framework for the action that will serve to fill the gap between research questions and how research strategy will be executed. The research methodology used involves analyzing the assumptions based on Syrian and Yemen crisis with the World Food Program since it undertook an effort of ensuring that the two countries are served with essential commodities. Also, the research methodology seeks to provide various principles and procedures that a given technique of inquiry has13. Hence, upon determining the appropriate method for this study, the possible problems worth investigating shall be considered, and the testable hypotheses will be arranged appropriately to help solve the research question in the most effective manner. Undertaking the research based on the two countries, Yemen and Syria does not involve substantial research even though learning about the research sites would aid in getting accurate data for analysis.

The parties caused the conflict in Yemen as a result of the state where UAE supported soldiers to back up the country while in Syria, the battle was created by the difference between that existed between it and the Arabs. Hence, qualitative methods were beneficial in both cases since they were embedded in the processes focused on a thorough description of the causative factors of conflicts in both countries and the consequent success in each of them upon intervention by different bodies like the WFP. Historical background Yemen Conflict in Yemen shortage started early 2015 leading to the dead of many citizens and the displacement of 3 million people by the end of 2017. The condition as damagingly affected the country’s infrastructure with the airports sternly damaged.

Two third of the Yemen population experienced food insecurity with the half of it rely only on external aid in 2015-201715. The launching of the vaccination campaign helped about half a million people. However, the majority of Yemen’s population still did not have access to clean water, and hygiene due to the breakdown of essential services. Yemen was exposed to disease outbreaks during the rainy season. However, WFP was able to assist a large population in the country regardless of the challenges. Syria The Syrian conflict started in March 2011, and 33 percent of the population was facing severe food insecurity with 4 million people who were in the potential of facing the food insecurity by the end of the year 201719. Thought the price of food staff had decreased in the year 2018, the amount of wheat had increased twice the cost of the international markets in April due to the removal of subsidies by the government.

The production of cereal had reduced in the year 2017-2018 due to uneven distribution of rainfall23. Lack of adequate rain led to the crops drying up in the early stages of group development thus reducing possible yields. Additionally, the plants could survive the drought in other areas but were destroyed in the late stage of their development by heavy rainfalls resulting to infection of fungal disease. Furthermore, lack of agricultural inputs and infrastructure continued to encourage a reduction in the production of cereals — moreover, the presence of conflict in Aleppo, Raqqa, and Deir-Ez-Zor as dispirited sowing. Furthermore, the trade routes and infrastructure have been damaged by the ongoing violence and fighting which has led to increasing unemployment. Also, the disruption of routes has rented other areas to be under siege therefore unable to escape from the conflict.

The conflict has contributed to the food crisis halve of the Syrian population depends on the humanitarian assistance. Syria currently imports a large percentage of food staff due to a decline in agricultural production. The country produced it food staffs of up to 4 million tonnes of wheat before the beginning of the conflict in 201126. For instance, more than 440,000 refugees were forced to return to their homes in January and June of the year 201727. The main reason was the lack of enough food supplies, and the humanitarian communities could not access the area. Morevover, international refugees’ comps are forcing refugees to return to their homes which leads to over-exploitation of resources. Other factors such as the continued collapse of the agricultural sector, inaccessible food and medical services and the sprouting unhygienically living condition had contributed to the increase malnutrition and diseases28.

Furthermore, the conflict had made many people depend on humanitarian aid thus rendering many to be unproductive. 2 million children who are under the age of five are suffering from severe hunger. The percentage of the malnourished population as increased to 57 percent since 201532. Food insecurity is growing continuously since routes to the markets are insecure, and most of them have blocked. The agricultural sector in Yemen depends on livestock and poultry production. Therefore, a significant percentage of Yemen households depended on agricultural production as the only source of income. Also, like the Syrian conflict, Yemen’s impacted aspects such as politics and security, humanitarian access, and displacement. The economic influence of conflict in Yemen was more adverse than that of Syria. The country’s GDP was reduced by approximately 226% the previous year’s.

The Yemeni riyal was primarily used to contribute to the high rising prices of food and fuel among other products. Furthermore, the Yemen central bank was left in crisis since the commencement of an emergency in 2015. Therefore, the battles continued intensifying making the international agencies to intervene due to what could be referred to as humanitarian access which struggled to reach the victims even though continued insecurity hampered them. Organizations such as the WFP usually takes intervention when a mass is affected regardless of whether the conflict is internal or external35. One major factor which led to the intervention of the WFP as one of the international bodies in both countries was the mass displacement resulting from conflicts. There were over 6.

2 million IDPs in Syria who were distributed both in the urban areas and rural ones36. Furthermore, the conflict causes an area to be under siege thus reducing the accessibility. The World Food Program as not been able to stop the growing food crisis in Yemen and Syria up to date but it has helped in preventing the occurrence of Servia malnutrition. However, the World Food Program can deliver food staff to the affected areas if it negotiates with the conflicting parties with the support of the two Arabic states. The two Arabic countries depend entirely on the agricultural sector for their income. Therefore, Yemen and Syria are facing food shortage since their agricultural industry has been negatively affected by the increasing levels of conflicts.

Accessed November 30, 2018. http://www1. wfp. org/operations?country%5B%5D=2092&operation_type=All&operation_id=. "Situation Report - Syrian Arab Republic | WFP | United Nations World Food Programme - Fighting Hunger Worldwide. org/situation-reports/yemen. "Syria and Syrian Refugees Emergency | World Food Programme. " Homepage | World Food Programme. Accessed November 30, 2018. http://www1. https://www. bbc. com/news/world-middle-east-29319423. "Yemen Emergency | World Food Programme. " Homepage | World Food Programme. Gómez, O. A. (Oscar), Gasper, and D. R. (Des). Mazurana, Dyan E. , Karen Jacobsen, and Lacey Andrews Gale.  Research Methods in Conflict Settings A View from Below. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Murdie, Amanda. Accessed November 30, 2018. http://www1. wfp. org/operations?country%5B%5D=2116&operation_type=All&operation_id=. "WFP | THE YEAR IN REVIEW | 4. 53, no. World Health Organization.