The humanitarian interpreter mediation role

Abstract EN

By humanitarian interpreting is meant that act performed by interpreters working in organizations with humanitarian mandates.

The task of these interpreters is hard to assume, their work being characterized by a need to adapt to a variety of contexts, ranging from conflict zones, to refugee camps and even to terrorism trials, to cite only these.

The questions that impose themselves in this context are the following: to what extent are present day humanitarian interpreters capable of delivering humanitarian aid across language and cultural barriers? Are they sufficiently trained to face misunderstandings, interpreter bias, emotional involvement and cultural differences? In an attempt to answer these questions, the present paper intends to underline the challenges and opportunities in the provision and use of humanitarian interpreters.