Course: Humanitarian Action, Response and Relief

Moustafa described the frustration he experienced during the early days of the Pakistan floods. He felt that the response was ad-hoc and poorly coordinated, and that the attempted interventions by …

The international humanitarian system contains a function – the early recovery cluster group – to address the needs of early recovery. This group faces a challenge when working with other …

On 30 July 2010, Pakistan declared a ‘disaster’, initially requesting specific forms of aid: air support for rescue and food drops were quickly followed by requests to support the construction …

We may make assumptions about the impacts of a disaster on people, and envisage that needs are predictable (water, food, medical supplies, shelter, etc). However, it’s been shown that assumptions …

Decision making is one of the key points of success (or failure) in disaster response. It’s also one of the most challenging elements. In this article, we’re going to consider …

UN guidance documents provide information about the formal system that’s designed to alert the international community to an unfolding disaster and mobilise a response. But of course, the first indication …

As this might be your first time studying with Coventry University, we’ve put together a few tips to help you get the most out of the experience. Comments FutureLearn is …

The literature is full of detail about government and agency response. There is little detail available about the action taken by affected families and communities during and after the floods. …

In Pakistan five groups were severely affected by the 2010 floods. Below we introduce the normal circumstances of these five vulnerable groups prior to the floods. Rural subsistence farmers ©Eric …

Humanitarian principles are a set of statements that provide a foundation for a system of practice and way of working. Humanitarian practice is shaped by principles that have their origins …

In Pakistan, the national disaster management structure was undergoing a period of change. The new disaster management authority was still under development, local government agencies struggled to understand their new …

Disaster response and humanitarian thinking and action have undergone significant change since the 1990s, with the focus shifting from needs to rights. Following the Balkan war and the Rwandan genocide, …

At this point, it is pertinent to explore the distinction, if any exists, between humanitarian actions and disaster response and management. As you will see from the literature, the terms …

Humanitarian action has a long history. The modern view and system of humanitarian aid as we know it – a structured system for the provision of aid to those in …