1
Relief Aid Dependency Syndromes: A Case for Disaster-Prone Moroto
District in Uganda
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study
Introduction
The topic for this study is about the effect of continuous provision of relief aid to
disaster-affected people over an extended period of time. Such action is believed by many
critics in the humanitarian domain and other host governments to significantly contribute
to creation of a condition known as dependency syndrome (Harvey & Lind, 2009). This is
a situation whereby the relief aid beneficiaries are believed to lose their initiative to fend
for themselves in order to improve their livelihoods, other than relying on relief handouts.
Findings from past qualitative studies such as by Harvey & Lind, (2009); Siyoum et al.
(2012); etc. were not exhaustively conclusive about the relationship between the relief aid
and dependency syndrome. Their method of study was based on proxy indicators, as the
means of measuring the effects of long-term provision of aid on beneficiaries. However,
the current literatures based on economic models such as the one developed by Nicola
Limodio (2011) emphasized the need to conduct an empirical study to corroborate or
dispute the earlier findings based on proxy indicators. This controversy is negatively
weighing on the humanitarian agencies and other host governments to conclude on the
impacts of long-term distribution of relief aid to the people in disasterprone areas. I have
therefore conducted this study to ascertain whether dependency syndrome is a myth or
reality.
, 2
This study was conducted in the disaster-prone area of Moroto District of
Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda. Moroto District is a place where people had
continuously been receiving relief aid for many years due to high frequencies of disasters
in the area. The district was then the only place in Uganda with the highest number of
humanitarian agencies in the country (MFPED 2013).
The potential positive social implications for this study are that it will contribute
to the formulation of policy that would help streamline humanitarian interventions in
chronic disaster-prone situations. That is, aid must not be given indefinitely to the
disaster-affected people; there must be some ways of empowering these people to
eventually withstand the effect of subsequent disasters on their own.
In this chapter, I briefly discussed background information about dependency
syndrome, based on a summary of past literature, after which, I presented the problem
statement. The chapter briefly stated the purpose of the study and the research questions
and hypothesis. The chapter also provided a detailed description of the theoretical and
conceptual framework upon which this study was grounded. This chapter included
discussion of the theory that formed the basis of the research as well as the null and
alternative hypothesis. Further details of theoretical foundation and conceptual
frameworks are discussed in Chapter 2. The chapter provided definition of some key
terms conceptually used in this study and presented the assumptions, scope, delimitations,
and limitations of this study. Finally, the significance of this study and its implication for
positive social change are discussed. This chapter then concluded by summarizing the
whole chapter and setting the stage for the next chapter.
, 3
Purpose of the Study
This study employed a comprehensive convergent mixed qualitative and
quantitative research approach that would holistically investigate the impacts of
prolonged provision of relief aid in disaster-prone areas. The study qualitatively explored
the beneficiaries‟ lived experiences about the roles of relief aid in their livelihoods as
well as their perceptions about dependency syndrome. The quantitative component of the
study examined the effect of relief aid on the beneficiaries‟ behaviors and how it could
lead to a dependency mentality, such as a change in labor/productivity pattern, savings,
investment, and consumption pattern. The purpose of all these was to establish the truth
about the notion of dependency syndrome in relation to the continuous provisioning of
relief aid over a prolonged period of time, and further to recommend better ways of
administering relief assistant to people living in chronic disaster areas. Mixed research
method was chosen to provide a holistic approach to the study, which would be capable
of providing the missing information about the notion of dependency syndrome in the
study, according to the identified gap in literature. This study explored the beneficiaries‟
perceptions about relief aid based on their lived experience, and these was compared with
and integrated with the empirical findings about the impact of prolonged provision on
relief aid on behaviors that could lead to dependency mentality such as decreased
productivity pattern, reduced savings, investments, and household consumption pattern.
The independent variable in this study was long-term provision of relief aid, while the
dependent variables were activities that signify progress towards dependency mentality,
, 4
such as reduction in household productivity level, savings, and investment and
consumption pattern. The covariates in this study were age, sex, and household size.
Regression analysis was conducted to establish the correlation and the relationship among
these variables.
Background
Relief aid in the past decades was the main means of saving lives of
disasteraffected people in many places around the world, but eventually it became more
prominent in disaster-prone areas of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean (Bronwen & Josiah,
2013). However, due to increased frequencies of disasters in many parts of the world,
many relief agencies decided to stay indefinitely in disaster-prone areas and continued
providing relief aid year after year, for over a decade (Bronwen & Josiah, 2013). Some
host governments and other critics began to raise concerns about the perceived negative
consequences of such relief aid distributions, and these kind of concerns later gave birth
to the notion of dependency syndrome (Harvey & Lind, 2009).
In response to the above concerns, many humanitarian agencies resorted to
commissioning studies to establish the effects of long-term and repeated relief aid
distribution on the beneficiaries in relation to dependency syndrome. For example in
2005, Oxfam GB commissioned a study for that purpose; the study was conducted by
Over Sea Development Institute in Kenya and Ethiopia (Harvey & Lind, 2009). The
survey concluded that dependency syndromes are not a direct negative result of the
distribution of relief aid, rather the way the relief aid is administered. In response to the
complaints by the government of Ethiopia about food aid as the main cause of
Relief Aid Dependency Syndromes: A Case for Disaster-Prone Moroto
District in Uganda
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study
Introduction
The topic for this study is about the effect of continuous provision of relief aid to
disaster-affected people over an extended period of time. Such action is believed by many
critics in the humanitarian domain and other host governments to significantly contribute
to creation of a condition known as dependency syndrome (Harvey & Lind, 2009). This is
a situation whereby the relief aid beneficiaries are believed to lose their initiative to fend
for themselves in order to improve their livelihoods, other than relying on relief handouts.
Findings from past qualitative studies such as by Harvey & Lind, (2009); Siyoum et al.
(2012); etc. were not exhaustively conclusive about the relationship between the relief aid
and dependency syndrome. Their method of study was based on proxy indicators, as the
means of measuring the effects of long-term provision of aid on beneficiaries. However,
the current literatures based on economic models such as the one developed by Nicola
Limodio (2011) emphasized the need to conduct an empirical study to corroborate or
dispute the earlier findings based on proxy indicators. This controversy is negatively
weighing on the humanitarian agencies and other host governments to conclude on the
impacts of long-term distribution of relief aid to the people in disasterprone areas. I have
therefore conducted this study to ascertain whether dependency syndrome is a myth or
reality.
, 2
This study was conducted in the disaster-prone area of Moroto District of
Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda. Moroto District is a place where people had
continuously been receiving relief aid for many years due to high frequencies of disasters
in the area. The district was then the only place in Uganda with the highest number of
humanitarian agencies in the country (MFPED 2013).
The potential positive social implications for this study are that it will contribute
to the formulation of policy that would help streamline humanitarian interventions in
chronic disaster-prone situations. That is, aid must not be given indefinitely to the
disaster-affected people; there must be some ways of empowering these people to
eventually withstand the effect of subsequent disasters on their own.
In this chapter, I briefly discussed background information about dependency
syndrome, based on a summary of past literature, after which, I presented the problem
statement. The chapter briefly stated the purpose of the study and the research questions
and hypothesis. The chapter also provided a detailed description of the theoretical and
conceptual framework upon which this study was grounded. This chapter included
discussion of the theory that formed the basis of the research as well as the null and
alternative hypothesis. Further details of theoretical foundation and conceptual
frameworks are discussed in Chapter 2. The chapter provided definition of some key
terms conceptually used in this study and presented the assumptions, scope, delimitations,
and limitations of this study. Finally, the significance of this study and its implication for
positive social change are discussed. This chapter then concluded by summarizing the
whole chapter and setting the stage for the next chapter.
, 3
Purpose of the Study
This study employed a comprehensive convergent mixed qualitative and
quantitative research approach that would holistically investigate the impacts of
prolonged provision of relief aid in disaster-prone areas. The study qualitatively explored
the beneficiaries‟ lived experiences about the roles of relief aid in their livelihoods as
well as their perceptions about dependency syndrome. The quantitative component of the
study examined the effect of relief aid on the beneficiaries‟ behaviors and how it could
lead to a dependency mentality, such as a change in labor/productivity pattern, savings,
investment, and consumption pattern. The purpose of all these was to establish the truth
about the notion of dependency syndrome in relation to the continuous provisioning of
relief aid over a prolonged period of time, and further to recommend better ways of
administering relief assistant to people living in chronic disaster areas. Mixed research
method was chosen to provide a holistic approach to the study, which would be capable
of providing the missing information about the notion of dependency syndrome in the
study, according to the identified gap in literature. This study explored the beneficiaries‟
perceptions about relief aid based on their lived experience, and these was compared with
and integrated with the empirical findings about the impact of prolonged provision on
relief aid on behaviors that could lead to dependency mentality such as decreased
productivity pattern, reduced savings, investments, and household consumption pattern.
The independent variable in this study was long-term provision of relief aid, while the
dependent variables were activities that signify progress towards dependency mentality,
, 4
such as reduction in household productivity level, savings, and investment and
consumption pattern. The covariates in this study were age, sex, and household size.
Regression analysis was conducted to establish the correlation and the relationship among
these variables.
Background
Relief aid in the past decades was the main means of saving lives of
disasteraffected people in many places around the world, but eventually it became more
prominent in disaster-prone areas of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean (Bronwen & Josiah,
2013). However, due to increased frequencies of disasters in many parts of the world,
many relief agencies decided to stay indefinitely in disaster-prone areas and continued
providing relief aid year after year, for over a decade (Bronwen & Josiah, 2013). Some
host governments and other critics began to raise concerns about the perceived negative
consequences of such relief aid distributions, and these kind of concerns later gave birth
to the notion of dependency syndrome (Harvey & Lind, 2009).
In response to the above concerns, many humanitarian agencies resorted to
commissioning studies to establish the effects of long-term and repeated relief aid
distribution on the beneficiaries in relation to dependency syndrome. For example in
2005, Oxfam GB commissioned a study for that purpose; the study was conducted by
Over Sea Development Institute in Kenya and Ethiopia (Harvey & Lind, 2009). The
survey concluded that dependency syndromes are not a direct negative result of the
distribution of relief aid, rather the way the relief aid is administered. In response to the
complaints by the government of Ethiopia about food aid as the main cause of
