NATO forces move to abandon white vehicles: this successful initiative by 17 NGOs in Afghanistan carries far-reaching implications for humanitarian workers in conflict zones around the world.

White vehicles, especially Land Cruisers, are associated with humanitarian action in most conflict zones. The white colour has come to represent impartial and independent actors who provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population irrespective of political, religious or military considerations and who are not parties to the conflict.

The use of white vehicles by international military forces in Afghanistan has been a great challenge to the humanitarian community in the country over the past several years. In the core of this conflict, military vehicles are targeted by suicide bombers and roadside bombs are remotely detonated at the sight of army convoys. The life of aid workers and their ability to work in Afghanistan directly hinges on being identified as neutral and distinct from the armed forces.

This point has been repeatedly expressed by the many actors engaged in Afghanistan, including ACTED. Following a letter addressed to the Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and signed by 17 NGOs working in Afghanistan, including ACTED, the need to take steps to separate themselves from aid workers was recognised by the armed forces themselves. According to a directive signed by NATO’s Command, all NATO-owned vehicles that are fully white were to have their colour changed either in full or to a degree sufficient to render the vehicle clearly and obviously multi-coloured by the 1st June 2009.

The order serves as an example of the importance of dialogue and coordination between the many actors engaged in Afghanistan and presents a concrete outcome of joint advocacy carried out by the NGO community. The next task of the Civil-Military Working Group, a platform where representatives of ISAF and humanitarian actors (UN, NGOs) meet to discuss issues relevant to both parties and that launched the initiative, is to convince the individual nations deployed in Afghanistan to follow the example set by ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Headquarters and to also repaint their white vehicles.