A Dangerous Mix: Humanitarian Action and the War on Terror.

The tentacles of the ‘war on terror’ agenda extend far beyond military action and relationships between the Christian west and Islamic regions of the world. It has also significantly impacted the ability of humanitarians to carry out their mission and mandate. Drawing upon research conducted in the occupied Palestinian territory in the summer of 2006 as part of the HA2015 project, this paper reflects upon some of the challenges of providing assistance in the context of the war on terror. These challenges, in particular, concern funding and partnerships, as restrictions have made humanitarian actors more cautious and limited in their activities and partnership relationships have suffered as a result. Furthermore, the discourse of the “war on terror” and resulting tensions between the west and Islam have created a more difficult security environment for humanitarian actors. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]