Humanitarian Assistance Exam 1

The First "Humanitarian Operations (late 18th and early 19th centuries)

1743-1759: first agreements between combatants (France - England) for the reciprocal use of hospitals 1793: relief operation for French aristocrats forced to flee Santo Domingo during a slave uprising 1812: earthquake in Caracas: the U.S. organized assistance by boat 1821: aid for the Greeks (only) during their war against the Turks

Red Cross National Societies

187 in the world, with more currently being formed; national societies support the public authorities in their own countries as independent auxiliaries to the government in the humanitarian field.

Origins of Humanitarian Assistance

Ancient Greece: first, very partial endeavor to use rules of law to regulate conflicts between Greek city-states. World's great religions Francis of Assisi (12th Century), Joachim de Flore (14th Century) and Giordano Bruno (16th Century): used the notions of love, compassion, and charity as weapons in defense of the poor and the underprivileged

CERF (Central Emergency Response Fund)

CERF is a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts.

Sphere Handbook: other key notes

Control of Communicable Diseased, Assessment of context, risks and capabilities; Food Security (income and employment), Meeting nutritional requirements, 2100 kcals per person per day, Hygiene promotion, Community-based pyscho-social support

DAC

Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD (North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand).

UN's humanitarian architecture head

Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC).

Activities of National Societies

Emergency response Disaster preparedness Community-based health and care First aid training and activities Restoring family contact for disaster victims Youth and volunteer activities

First Geneva Convention

First Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field, 1864.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Global humanitarian organization that coordinates and directs international assistance following natural and man-made disasters in non-conflict situations

Red Cross Origins

Henry Dunant, Battle in Solferino, 1863 when five Geneva men, including Dunant, set up the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded

OCHA Tools and Services

Humanitarian News and Analysis. Inter-Agency Collaboration Humanitarian Financing Emergency Response Disaster Preparedness

ICRC Goals

Independent, neutral organization providing humanitarian assistance and protection to victims of war and armed violence; Promote international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles.

Who sets the humanitarian agenda?

International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent: every four years. Highest deliberative body; Cross-cutting priorities and challenges.

What organization formed after the Biafra war from the ICRC?

Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) in 1968

Henri Dunant and the Battle of Solferino

Neutrality of the victims of war: aid would not be limited to one's own wounded but would be extended to all victims Humanitarian agents help all the victims as the members of one humanity. To do this, an independent organization was founded: the Red Cross. Certain laws could be applied universally even in the heat of battle. (Geneva Convention)

WWII shortcomings of hum. law

Not binding in non-international conflicts (Spanish Civil War - 1936). No protection to civilians (Holocaust)

ODA

Official Development Assistance; a grant or loan from an "official" government source to a developing country or multilateral agency for the promotion of economic development and welfare; includes sustainable and poverty-reducing development assistance (for sectors such as governance, growth, social services, education, health, and water and sanitation) as well as funding for humanitarian crises.

Sphere Handbook Core Standards

People centered approach, Coordination and Collaboration

Elements that make a region vulnerable to famine

Poverty, Inappropriate physical infrastructure, Inappropriate social infrastructure, suppressive political regime, weak or under-prepared government.

Activities covered by HA

Preparedness for events. Immediate response to them Provision of basic needs.

Operations of IFRC & Red Crescent Societies

Relief operations. Disaster preparedness programs. Health and care activities (HIV, tuberculosis, avian influenza, malaria, etc). Promotion of humanitarian values

Current ERC

Stephen O'Brien

FTS (Financial Tracking Service)

The FTS is a global, real-time database which records all reported international humanitarian aid.

What does the ERC oversee?

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC): The Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA). UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

3 major components of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (186).

Consequences of WWI

The Red Cross was divided in two: the League of Red Cross Societies (peacetime activities) and the ICRC (wartime activities) Save the Children Fund (1919) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (1921) were established to deal with peacetime issues arising from war.

The Cold War Challenges for HA

The Soviet Union did not agree to apply the humanitarian law and its principles. Decolonization led to liberation movements in many places

Red Cross Facts

World's largest humanitarian network. The Movement is neutral and impartial - provides protection and assistance to people affected by disasters and conflicts. 97 million volunteers, supporters, and staff in 186 countries.

Famine

a widespread scarcity of food; usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality.

St. Vincent de Paul

adopted a systematic and original approach to poverty in France, with a view to its eradication; Daughters of Charity, Lazarists

The Cluster Approach

aims to strengthen predictability, capacity, coordination, accountability, and partnership, with each cluster having a designated global "cluster lead agency" (CLA).

Geneva Conventions

comprise four treaties and three additional protocols that set the standards in international law for humanitarian treatment of the victims of war.

Causes of famine

drought, crop failure, war, government policy

Second Geneva Convention

for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, 1906.

Clusters

groups of humanitarian organizations (international, national, local authorities, civil society) working in partnership in the main sectors of humanitarian action

4 elements of hum. aid

humanity, impartiality, neutrality, & independence

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC):

inter-agency forum for coordination, policy development and decision-making. It comprises all major humanitarian actors, including the International Red Cross movement , and three NGO consortia.

Emergency measures in relieving famine

providing deficient micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, through fortified sachet powders or directly through supplements; cash or cash vouchers

Fourth Geneva Convention

relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 1949

Third Geneva Convention

relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 1929.

Agricultural problems in Africa

soil infertility, land degradation and erosion, swarms of desert locusts and livestock diseases.

OCHA United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

the arm of the UN Secretariat that is responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure coherent response to emergencies.

Humanitarian Aid

the assistance designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of emergencies.

Sphere Handbook Minimum Standards

water supply, sanitation & hygiene, food security & nutrition, shelter, settlement & non-food items, health action