In the "Conflict in Syria, Refugees and the World Food Programme" (WFP) blog post, our group discussed the factors shaping the context of the WFP's efforts in Syria.
Some of those factors included many political, economic, social and cultural factors. Specifically, these factors involved domestic disputes between the Syrian opposition and Assad and his Ba’athist regime, bridging partnerships with local communities, and figuring out how to feed an influx of refugees with little economic support, among other issues.
One of the strong points identified in our group's assessment was that of local partnerships. But according to a recent Huffington Post article, it appears the WFP is having an issue with current partnerships in Lebanon. "A couple of months ago, then facing more than 700,000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP) quietly started cutting off select beneficiaries from meal assistance and other programs. Refugees who felt they were wrongly cut off were told they could fill out an appeal form describing their situation and deposit it in a box like the one at this clinic."
Subsequently refugees who have been cut off cry out in frustrated defeat.
"'I don't know!" a young woman named Bara'a exclaimed, when asked why she thought she'd lost her benefits.'"
The article continues, "But she was also curious about appealing the loss of her food aid. Last month, when Bara'a picked up her family's allotment of food vouchers -- three of them, worth about $27 each -- she said she was also handed a small piece of paper. It told her that she no longer qualified for assistance. She had no idea why."
In relation to class lectures and reading, we have discussed the importance of transparency. Without it, a legitimacy gap can come into play in which the public, or refugees in this case, will not expect legitimacy from your organization.
In addition, we also discussed the need for transparency during a crisis in which it is more crucial. The fact that Bara'a is uninformed about why her aid has been cut off could explain a lack of transparency from the WFP.
Accordingly, how do you think the WFP could respond to the claims of Bara'a's ignorance as to why she no longer qualifies for assistance? How important or unimportant is cross cultural communication in this situation?
Great follow-up, Adriana! It is really unfortunate that the WFP is cutting off assistance to refugees without offering a reason. How do you tell someone that they no longer qualify for basic assistance? Cross-cultural communication plays a huge role here, as the WFP must be able to inform members of different societies regarding the developments surrounding their situation.
ReplyDeleteTransparency is also a major player in communication effectiveness. Not only does transparency keep the public informed, but it helps to gain a trust in the audience. If a transparent communication plan can be enacted, then the audience has a reason to trust the organization.
The WFP should give reasons as to why some, like Bara'a, are no longer qualified for assistance. In a situation like this, not knowing is definitely worse than being given a reason. the WFP can also offer ways to re-qualify for assistance.