“Marvelous, strange, and profound . . . carries echoes of the African writings of Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene, and in a tone that is both disillusioned and fearless.”—The Guardian (UK)“Essential reading. If this book can serve as a rallying cry to more radical, redistributive humanitarian alternatives, then it will have more than fulfilled its function.”—The Times (London)“A blood-boilingly good polemic that should knock a few halos off a few heads.”—The Sunday Telegraph“This disturbing account of the multibillion dollar juggernaught that is today’s global humanitarian aid network raises profound questions not just about the palliative efficacy of aid, but whether it fuels and prolongs conflict . . . deeply troubling.”—Financial Times (UK)“Unflinching… The intrepid Polman is a reporter of conspicuous courage… a tour de force.”—The Sunday Times (London)“Vivid, concise, the pages of this necessary, contentious book burn with a righteous moral anger . . . a timely reminder that noble intentions and humanitarian motives are often stretched to, and beyond, breaking point in the febrile world of modern-day war.”—Daily Telegraph“A withering catalogue of corruption, incompetence, and an aid industry that lives in unholy symbiosis with politicians and the military… The account of Afghaniscam is wonderfully awful. This is an exhilarating book.”—Scotsman "Dutch journalist Polman here contends that humanitarian aid agencies are unable to act impartially and independently in response to crises. Heart-wrenching examples abound: Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, aid agencies strengthening Hutu refugee warriors who then continue genocide against Rwandan Tutsis; Sierra Leone's child amputees serving primarily as arresting visual appeals to foreign political and religious funding; and aid siphoned off from allocated projects in Afghanistan. The book, originally published in Dutch in 2008, predates Haiti's recent earthquake, but connections may be made to those aid circumstances as well. Polman expertly compels readers to consider how, when, and at what cost humanitarian aid is provided. This is a strongly recommended addition for readers in current global affairs."—Catherine C. McMullen, MLIS, Portland, Oregon, Library Journal
Linda Polman is an Amsterdam-based journalist who for fifteen years has reported from war zones for a range of European radio stations and newspapers. She is the author of We Did Nothing, which was shortlisted for the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage.
Introduction
The humane desire to lighten a little the torments of all these poor wretches . . . creates a kind of energy which gives one a positive craving to relieve as many as one can.—Henri Dunant, humanitarian aid worker and founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)1
Imagine that you're an international humanitarian aid worker in a war zone and faithful to the principles of the Red Cross, as any good humanitarian should be.
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