Introduction to the Special Issue: Humanitarian Organizations in Disaster Response

Abstract

Not only do the authors in this special issue address three different problems humanitarian organizations could encounter while doing their job, they also show that each problem is characterized by a need to find balance. A balance between security and the speedy deliverance of aid; a balance between what is needed, what can be asked for and what can be processed; and a balance between humanitarian norms and values and professional conduct when facing regulations that go against the grain of humanitarian aid. Though no solution has yet been found for any of the problems, the articles show the diverse ways in which humanitarian aid workers try to find a balance. That in and by itself could be helpful for humanitarian aid workers when they discuss and decide on how to deal with these issues.