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