Food Aid and War: The Role of Humanitarian Aid in the Duration of Civil Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa

In the following essay, I attempt to discern why it is that humanitarian aid results in an increase in the length of conflict. First, I will survey the existing literature on the subject, drawing on the work of notable political scientists who have conducted research in fields of conflict and foreign aid, and determine where, precisely, my research fits into the gaps in the current pool of scholarship. Then, I will describe the theoretical causal mechanism used to explain why humanitarian aid increases conflict duration. Next, I will outline my research design and assess the empirical results. Finally, I consider two case studies as a means of qualitatively demonstrating the ways in which my findings can be applied.Bachelor of Art