Summary: Stephen Sackur talks to Sir John Holmes, who was the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator during crises in Sudan, Sri Lanka and Haiti. In the midst of war or natural disaster humanitarian aid can make the difference between life and death. Since leaving the UN Sir John Holmes has been wrestling with a basic question - does humanitarian aid work, or does it all too often exacerbate conflict and entrench dependency? With international relief efforts now focused on the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Syria can we be confident that lessons from the past have been learnt?
