"We will take money from anywhere to support our work": industry funding of humanitarian assistance in crises

Background Corporate funding has been described to be beneficial for humanitarian assistance in times of shrinking financial resources globally. Despite the growing global research on commercial determinants and their impact on population health, evaluations of corporate partnerships with humanitari...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of public health 2022-10, Vol.32 (Supplement_3)
Main Authors: Makhoul, J, El-Ashkar, C, Nakkash, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beverage industry
Beverages
Companies
Conflicts of interest
COVID-19
Crises
Disadvantaged
Explosions
Food
Food industry
Funding
Health care policy
Health policy
Humanitarianism
Migrants
Money
NGOs
Nongovernmental organizations
Pandemics
Public health
Refugees
Scholarships & fellowships
Tobacco
Tobacco industry
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Summary:Background Corporate funding has been described to be beneficial for humanitarian assistance in times of shrinking financial resources globally. Despite the growing global research on commercial determinants and their impact on population health, evaluations of corporate partnerships with humanitarian organizations and victims of multiple crises are rare. Conflicts of interest and corporate interference in public health policy and practice are well-documented. Health-harming industries are currently funding large scale projects for refugees in the eastern Mediterranean region which has witnessed humanitarian crises from armed conflicts. For example, food and beverage corporations and tobacco industries have funded projects to integrate migrants in their host countries, and offered educational scholarships to refugee children in Europe and beyond. Methods This research presents the experiences of humanitarian agencies in Lebanon on their funding from corporations, and the perceived influences on the populations served over a two-year period coinciding with a long-lasting refugee crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, an epic economic collapse and the devastation of a large part of Beirut from a cataclysmic explosion in its port. The study used qualitative in-depth interviews with representatives of non-governmental organizations working in Lebanon with Lebanese and refugees. Results Funding from corporations starts with a two-way communication process between the organizations and the corporations, which recently started to be initiated by the corporations themselves after the Beirut blast. Funding from the tobacco, food and beverage industries is reported to come with conditions described to enhance their visibility, yet described as necessary, helps disadvantaged communities and sustains the organizations' operations. Other results relating to the availability of guidelines for detecting and managing COI from corporate funding are discussed.
ISSN:1101-1262
1464-360X
DOI:10.1093/eurpub/ckac129.089