Political Consequences of Humanitarian Aid : Rwanda: By keeping the culprits in power, aid may be hurting those it is meant to help.

It has been more than six months since the international community first came to the aid of the Rwandan refugees. Where do we stand today?

Contrary to what President Clinton said in his State of the Union address, the Rwandan relief effort was not a success. Although the immediate nutritional and medical needs of the refugees were met, the money the international community provided (and continues to provide) for the humanitarian crisis has left a political mess. The aid-givers failed to consider the political consequences of their help and so may have hurt the Rwandan people.

I spent 4 1/2 months as an aid worker in a refugee camp and saw the damaging effect our humanitarian presence has had on the prospects for peace and reconciliation in Rwanda. Even though the war ended last summer, more than 2 million refugees are totally dependent on foreign aid and are unlikely to repatriate. Many former government officials and militias who were involved in the genocide are now stronger, partly because their followers are supported by foreign aid and because the aid agencies use these leaders to help organize the camps and distribute food.

Many of the Rwandans in Zaire and Tanzania as well as in displaced-persons camps inside Rwanda won’t go home because they fear that the new government does not represent their interests and their homes may have been confiscated. Prosecution of war crimes--the most important issue if the Tutsi and Hutu former enemies are to build a future together--has yet to be meaningfully addressed.

Rather than accept responsibility for its contribution to the current problems, the international community is trying to extricate itself. The United Nations recently abandoned its efforts to have a multinational peacekeeping force in the refugee camps where militias that were responsible for much of the genocide have taken control.

The United States must lead the international community in making informed decisions about whether and how to get involved in a humanitarian crisis if the intent is to alleviate suffering beyond the short term. If it does not, millions of dollars spent to deal with a humanitarian crisis may prolong the problems that caused the initial catastrophe.