The Elephant in the room: toward a more ethical approach with accountability toward intended beneficiaries in humanitarian aid.

There is considerable tension between the concept of accountability to beneficiaries and its practice in humanitarian aid. The beneficiaries live in a relationship that is asymmetric; upward or horizontal accountability within the aid system alone-even with the best of intentions-might be short-sighted. Could beneficiaries be effectively involved in programing, priority setting or allocation of resources? Is there space for a rights-based approach in aid delivery and operations? The mind-set, governance and structure of operations in aid agencies may need significant institutional reform to share the process of decision-making, and to transform the current dynamic from connecting resources to brokering better governance, true collaboration and co-operation among all stakeholders. This article provides a background and overview of accountability in aid, sheds light onto its underlying challenges, and positive and negative effects through the lens of organizational and social ethics, explores practical and feasible ways to strengthen beneficiaries' participation and empowerment, and call upon aid agencies to integrate beneficiaries' views in aid operations, and exercise true solidarity.