02 | Alphabet Soup

Disclaimer: To the disappointment of many — this post is not about food. There are many great food bloggers out there who do a much better job at writing about cuisine and recipes. 

The title of the last blog (WYSI(n)WYG) has inspired me to share another reality of my everyday life in the humanitarian sector: acronyms*.

The humanitarian sector is full of acronyms, which can make reading through reports and articles very tiresome. Here is an example: “The cluster will ensure a targeted response through in-kind or CVA in partnership with DTM and WFP, potentially using BMR data to avoid duplication” (Humanitarian Response Plan – South Sudan, OCHA, 2021, p.66). I started a list of acronyms which I stumbled upon the past few weeks — I have already got more than 100! 

My favorite so far is "INSO”, which stands for “International NGO Safety Organization”. NGO is already an acronym for “Non-Governmental Organization”. Acronyms within acronyms — WTF!**

Here are a few more acronyms I come across almost every day:

⇾ CHS (Core Humanitarian Standards). The CHS consists of nine commitments, which are used to measure the quality and accountability of humanitarian and development organizations (and other actors in the sector).

⇾ WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene). This one is great because the acronym read as a word already refers to the meaning of the acronym — well done, whoever came up with it.

⇾ NFIs (Non-Food Items) are, for example: blankets, buckets, tarps, etc. It is often used in combination with shelter-related projects because the requirements for procurement and logistics are similar; the acronym used is S/NFI or SNFI. My position is within the shelter & NFI sector.

⇾ IDP (Internally Displaced People/Person). IDPs are forced to leave their home but stay in the same country. The main reasons for IDPs to "move" are flooding and armed conflict. They are sometimes (falsely) referred to as refugees.

⇾ MHPSS (Mental Health and Psychological Support) is becoming a more integrated part of humanitarian work, in addition to WASH, S/NFI, food, and medical aid. 

I hope you have enjoyed your alphabet soup and learned something new today. (If not, I can recommend this little online game about trust and game theory, which I discovered a few days ago: The Evolution of Trust.)

Thank you for all the encouraging and lovely messages I keep receiving.

Greetings from Juba, Markus