Essays on Humanitarian Effectiveness analyses the impact of context on understandings of and approaches to effectiveness. The five essays in the collection present stories of how effectiveness has been constructed, discussed, operationalised, or even imposed in different contexts (in Liberia, Niger, the Philippines, South Asia and the Syria region), based on research across 9 countries. The collection depicts how these different geographical, social and cultural contexts have influenced how particular responses have been shaped and assessed. Essays on Humanitarian Effectiveness includes: Liberia. The Un-ness of an Emergency: A Reflection on the Ebola Response in Liberia, by Fernando Espada; Niger. Even the River Has Need of its Tributaries: An Exploration of Humanitarian Effectiveness in the Slow-onset Context of Niger, by David Matyas; The Philippines. A Culture Clash? Exploring ‘Appropriateness’ and ‘Relevance’ in the Response to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, by Jessica Field; South Asia. On Authority and Trust: A Reflection on the Effectiveness of Disaster Management in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, by Fernando Espada; Syria. ‘No Voice Can Be Heard Above the Gunfire’: Protection, Partnerships and Politicking in the Syrian Civil War, by Jessica Field.
