Foreign Military and Mission-Owned Assets in Humanitarian Emergencies

The work with foreign and national military forces supporting humanitarian action follows principles and guidelines. Although each guiding document was developed at a different time and for different purposes, most of the principles overlap.

Traditionally, the humanitarian community used Military and Civil Defence Assets (MCDA). With the evolution of humanitarian civil-military coordination and the ever-changing operational environment, the latest guidance refers to Foreign Military Assets (FMA).

Recommended Practices for Effective Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination of Foreign Military Assets (FMA) in Natural and Man-Made Disasters recall most cross-cutting principles. The document delineates the phases and integral components of military support to humanitarian action and guides the integration of FMA to support humanitarian relief operations.

The focus areas are preparedness, deployment, employment, transition, and monitoring and evaluation. In each focus area, the Practices consider the various levels of potential humanitarian civil-military interaction, i.e. international, national, sub-national, and local levels. They include the intended outcomes resulting from the practical application of relevant practices.

As a general rule, humanitarian actors, affected States and assisting States should invest in increased civilian capacity instead of relying on ad hoc use of FMA.

 Use of FMA Matrix