ARMED SECURITY GUARDS
Historically, most charities & NGOs operated under the belief that volunteers engaged in humanitarian efforts would not be kidnapped or killed. Recent events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, and elsewhere, have proven that many terrorists/ insurgents now seek to kidnap or kill such volunteers. The motivation for this very dramatic change seems to vary from country to country, or from group to group. In the case of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, in Iraq, a primary motive seems to be revenge against Americans.
As a solution to the above, a few charities and/or NGOs have employed armed security guards to help protect their volunteers. Results have been mixed since most volunteers are unfamiliar with working with a security force. In some cases, guards may not be loyal and could cause further security problems. Screening of all guards is most critical for reasons of safety. In addition, care must be taken to assure that guards do not act in a manner that could make you a conspicuous target. Guards should wear mufti, and carry their weapons in a concealed manner. Types of vehicles used, and patterns of movement, must be varied with the objective of making guards as discreet as possible.
In the final analysis, the actual use of guards is generally a very personal decision for the volunteer as well as being a policy decision for the charity or NGO. How guards may be employed will also depend on the laws and regulations of the host nation. If a charity or NGO elects not to use guards, even though they are clearly needed for safety reasons, then the individual volunteer must decide what security risks they are willing to accept. (Many charities and NGOs have elected to remove their volunteers, from areas of known high risk, rather than employ armed guards.
