Humanitarianism and Politics in Central America

Humanitarian work is generally perceived to be somehow separated from politics. This perception has persisted to some extent in the field of refugee protection and assistance. Yet workers in the field, especially those who assist refugees, are keenly aware that their activities are deeply intertwined with politics. Refugees are, in fact, an intensely political issue, and their existence affects both foreign and domestic policy, exacerbates interstate conflicts, and influences international attitudes. An international regime -UN agencies, governments, churches, and voluntary agencies -evolved after World War II to aid and protect refugees. When the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established in 1951, its work was required to be humanitarian and nonpolitical. However, the postwar period is full of examples where political considerations have influenced international and governmental responses to refugee crises. The cold war in Europe facilitated the reception and care given to East European refugees in the 1950s and 1960s. UNHCR officials have realized for some time that whatever power they exercise is largely dependent on the financial and political support of the United States government and other large donor countries. In the United States it has been common for the government to link humanitarian concerns to strategic national interests. Refugees have been used both symbolically and instrumentally to serve larger American foreign policy concerns.' Freedom fighters from