Humanitarian Relief Efforts Research Articles

Protecting Civilians against Digital Threats during Armed Conflict: Final report of the ICRC's Global Advisory Board

In situations of armed conflict, access to digital technology can save lives. However, the digitalization of armed conflict also brings new threats for civilians. Over the past decade, digital technologies have been used in armed conflict to disrupt critical civilian infrastructure and services, to incite violence against civilian populations, and to undermine humanitarian relief efforts. Moreover, in ever-more interdependent digital and physical environments, civilians and civilian infrastructure are not only in the crosshairs of hostile operations but also increasingly drawn upon to support military operations, blurring the lines between what is military and what is civilian.

Is there a case for gridshell structures in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts?

This article focuses on the core concerns of shelter and settlement, and more specifically focuses on large-span shelters in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) efforts. Furthermore, this article introduces the audience to novel large-span structures called gridshells. This paper presents a parametric, computational study that quantifies the efficacy of bracing orientation and arrangement on the load carrying capacity of gridshells. The varied parameters include the grid density (“16 by 16” to “30 by 30”) and the bracing scheme (unbraced, continuous fully-braced, discontinuous fully-braced, continuous half-braced, and discontinuous half-braced). Four load cases were analyzed, namely a symmetric distributed load, an asymmetric distributed load, a centered point load, and an off-centered point load. The results of the study provide designers with trends and basic design options upon which they can base further analysis depending on the requirements of the final structure.

Mathematical problems for designing a short-distance relief goods distribution network in urban areas

In the humanitarian relief efforts after an earthquake strikes, local capabilities are critical in the first hours to assess the situation and deliver relief supplies to the victims. Usually, the relief goods required by victims are unlikely to be found in the impacted areas, and resources from other places need time to be mobilized to the affected areas. Often in earthquakes in cities in developing countries, relief goods do not arrive on time causing victims to suffer even more. In this paper, we present the mathematical formulations and solutions techniques for designing a short-distance distribution network of relief goods, which can be managed by local governments. In the preparation phase, as a part of the immediate response plan based on scenarios, the facilities location and the preliminary distribution paths must be determined. Hence, a p-median problem and a multi-depot heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem (MDHFVRP) must be solved. These problems are usually small and there is time to find a solution. However, in the response phase, a dynamical VRP must be solved.

Evaluation of Humanitarian Relief Efforts at Displaced Camps in Darfur

Evaluation of Humanitarian Relief Efforts at Displaced Camps in Darfur

Supply Chain Resilience Enhancement Strategies in the Context of Supply Disruptions, Demand Surges, and Time Sensitivity

Supply chain disruptions, including trade disputes, regional conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of supply chain resilience. This study focuses on investment decisions related to supply chain resilience, including considerations of supply disruptions, demand disruptions, and demand time sensitivity. The study uses a Stackelberg game model, with the retailer as the leader and the supplier as the follower, to analyze and compare optimal strategies for supply chain participants under different levels of risk. The results show that the severity of risk events impacts the optimal retail price, optimal wholesale price, supply chain recovery time, and expected profits for each participant. The investment in supply capacity enhancement not only expands the ability to meet demand but also encourages suppliers to expedite supply chain recovery, elevate demand fulfillment rates, and enhance the overall return on investment in supply chain resilience. As a result, the resilience of the entire supply chain is fortified. Similarly, it has been found that centralized decision-making leads to lower prices, shorter recovery times and greater supply chain resilience than decentralized decision-making. This study offers theoretical underpinning for corporations to effectively address risky occurrences, ensure supply security, enhance supply chain resilience, and imparts support for governments involved in humanitarian relief efforts.

India’s Horn of Africa Engagements: Emerging Ties with Djibouti and Implications for Regional Dynamics

India’s Horn of Africa (HoA) initiatives emerge from its evolving Africa policy, deeply rooted in historical ties, economic ventures, and global aspirations. In recent years, India has significantly intensified its engagements with African nations, placing a strong emphasis on cultivating commercial relationships, making investments, and fostering development cooperation. At the heart of India’s Africa strategy lies the principle of ‘South-South cooperation’ (SSc), which seeks to unite developing nations in the Global South for mutual benefit and shared prosperity. India has diligently expanded its economic links with Africa, with a specific focus on trade and investment. Currently, India stands among Africa’s top investors, actively participating in sectors like infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing. Beyond economic engagement, India has emerged as a proactive partner in African development, providing support across various domains, including agriculture, education, health, and technology transfer. Moreover, India extends its hand in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts during crises. Thus, India’s HoA strategy is characterised by its multifaceted nature, leveraging historical connections with Africa and strategic influence across the Indian Ocean and the West Asia/Persian Gulf region. This is examined within the context of evolving challenges in the Horn of Africa, with particular attention to the case of Djibouti.

Empty Threats and Aid Weaponization: Understanding the International Response to Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis

ABSTRACT Since 2015, international aid organizations have delivered over $23 billion in assistance to alleviate Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Complicating this effort, however, is the fact that aid organizations must coordinate aid delivery with the Houthis, the de facto authority ruling 70 percent of Yemen’s population. Rather than allowing aid organizations to operate without interference, the Houthis have restricted their operations and weaponized aid for political purposes. This comes despite aid organizations’ threats to withhold assistance from the Houthis. Why do the Houthis continue to weaponize aid despite pressure and condemnation from the very organizations upon which they depend for assistance? I argue that the structure of humanitarian relief efforts makes it difficult for aid organizations to credibly threaten to cut off assistance to the Houthis, and that these empty threats do little to deter Houthi bad behavior. In developing this argument, this article contributes both to our understanding of the politics of Yemen’s civil war, as well as to theoretical conversations about the relationship between rebel groups and international actors.

Tailored Forecasts Can Predict Extreme Climate Informing Proactive Interventions in East Africa

AbstractThis commentary discusses new advances in the predictability of east African rains and highlights the potential for improved early warning systems (EWS), humanitarian relief efforts, and agricultural decision‐making. Following an unprecedented sequence of five droughts, 23 million east Africans faced starvation in 2022, requiring >$2 billion in aid. Here, we update climate attribution studies showing that these droughts resulted from an interaction of climate change and La Niña. Then we describe, for the first time, how attribution‐based insights can be combined with the latest dynamical models to predict droughts at 8‐month lead‐times. We then discuss behavioral and social barriers to forecast use, and review literature examining how EWS might (or might not) enhance agro‐pastoral advisories and humanitarian interventions. Finally, in reference to the new World Meteorological Organization “Early Warning for All” Executive Action Plan, we conclude with a set of recommendations supporting actionable and authoritative climate services. Trust, urgency, and accuracy can help overcome barriers created by limited funding, uncertain tradeoffs, and inertia. Understanding how climate change is producing predictable climate extremes now, investing in African‐led EWS, and building better links between EWS and agricultural development efforts can support long‐term adaptation, reducing chronic needs for billions of dollars in reactive assistance. In Africa and beyond, climate change brings increasingly extreme sea surface temperature (SST) gradients. Using climate models, we can often see these extremes coming. Prediction, therefore, offers opportunities for proactive risk management and improved advisory services, if we can create effective societal linkages via cross‐silo collaborations.

Prevention of Infectious Diseases during Military Deployments: A Review of the UAE Armed Forces Experience

The UAE Armed Forces involved in many missions that range from major combat operations to humanitarian relief efforts. Military medical professional accompanied deployed military troops is responsible for disease prevention, which can be made more difficult in the situation of short preparation times and prolonged deployment duration. The military medical professional must use deployment medicine in protecting military personnel from infectious and tropical diseases in operation theatre. This review emphasizes the importance of preparation, health education, personal protective measures, vaccines, chemoprophylaxis, and surveillance in an attempt to prevent infectious diseases. This review gives a summary of experiences of preventive medicine for UAE Medical Corps during deployment in many countries.

The use of climate information in humanitarian relief efforts: a literature review

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a systematic literature review of the state-of-the-art applications of climate information in humanitarian relief efforts, to further the knowledge of how climate science can be better integrated into the decision-making process of humanitarian supply chains.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was conducted using a combination of key search terms developed from both climate science and humanitarian logistics literature. Articles from four major databases were retrieved, reduced and analyzed.FindingsThe study illustrates the status of application of climate information in humanitarian work, and identifies usability, collaboration and coordination as three key themes.Originality/valueBy delivering an overview of the current applications and challenges of climate information, this literature review proposes a three-phase conceptual framework.

120 Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries Secondary to Thermobaric Explosives: Implications for the War in Ukraine

INTRODUCTION: Advancements in modern weaponry have vastly increased the incidence and severity of craniospinal injuries. Specifically, thermobaric weapons can cause devastating blast-related traumatic brain injury (bTBI). With recent use of these weapons in the war in Ukraine, clinicians and laypersons alike may benefit from an improved understanding behind the dynamic interplay between explosive weaponry, its potential for bTBI, and the subsequent short and long-term consequences of these injuries. METHODS: A comprehensive review of thermobaric weapons and their use throughout history was performed. Mechanisms of action behind blast injuries and subsequent therapeutic advancements in neurosurgical management from pioneers of neurosurgery was conducted. We document long term neuropsychiatric sequela following bTBI and discuss its relevance in the current conflict in Ukraine. In addition, a quantitative analysis of the potential of thermobaric weapons to cause bTBI in a hypothetical scenario of its use in Ukrainian civilian zones was performed. RESULTS: A thermobaric weapon causes a prolonged blast pressure wave which can cause devastating injury through several mechanisms, including long-term neuropsychiatric sequela (notably PTSD). The origins of bTBI sequela date back to documentations in WWI of “shell-shock”, now widely known as PTSD. Trailblazers in neurosurgery, such as Harvey Cushing, and prominent psychologists, such as Charles Myers, were pivotal in identifying and treating early cases of bTBI. Our quantitative analysis demonstrates the significant potential of thermobaric weapons in causing bTBI. Construction of underground shelters may mitigate damage from the blast pressure wave. CONCLUSIONS: As humanitarian relief efforts set foot in Ukraine, results from our brief report may inform and assist the development of focused mitigation and rehabilitation strategies, especially in post-war reconstruction

Military humanitarian and disaster governance networks in Southeast Asia: framework and analysis.

Behind humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts are governance networks of actors working together to facilitate, coordinate, and deliver joint aid and response initiatives. Militaries are key stakeholders in these networks because of their unique capabilities, particularly in Southeast Asia. This paper explores the role of military governance networks in shaping HADR affairs. It presents a framework for examining military-to-military relational structures in humanitarian and disaster contexts using network theory and social network analysis. It also assesses the nature of military ties and their influence on two capability areas essential to humanitarian activities in the region: (i) the distribution of military assets and equipment used in HADR; and (ii) the coordination of HADR exercises and training. This paper seeks to provide insights into how governance network features and properties affect the capacity of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) militaries to use available resources efficiently and to achieve shared objectives in regional disaster response.

A case for gridshell structures in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts

This article focuses on the core concerns of shelter and settlement, and more specifically will focus on large-span shelters in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) efforts. Furthermore, this article will introduce the audience to novel large-span structures called gridshells. This paper presents a parametric, computational study that quantifies the efficacy of bracing orientation and arrangement on the load carrying capacity of gridshells. The varied parameters include the grid density (“16 by 16” to “30 by 30”) and the bracing scheme (unbraced, continuous fully-braced, discontinuous fully-braced, continuous half-braced, and discontinuous half-braced). Four load cases were analyzed, namely a symmetric distributed load, an asymmetric distributed load, a centered point load, and an off-centered point load. The results of study provide designers with trends and basic design options upon which they can base further analysis depending on the requirements of the final structure.

Malaysia Humanitarian Logistics: A Successful Collaboration in Humanitarian Relief Works Between NGOs in Malaysia

Humanitarian organisations find it incredibly challenging to work with a diverse group of stakeholders. Coordination between actors is challenging, and occasionally efforts are duplicated. Collaboration issues have been identified as a major stumbling block in the management of humanitarian projects. These issues must be addressed since they will lead to inefficiency and impede the humanitarian response process before, during, and after a disaster. This research explores the Malaysian humanitarian logistics scenario as well as the factors that influence successful collaboration in humanitarian relief efforts between Malaysian NGOs. In this study, the researcher adopted qualitative methods and interviewed four NGOs involved in humanitarian work in the year 2020, allowing the researcher to investigate differences within and across humanitarian efforts. This study found the main pillars of successful collaboration in humanitarian works, such as communication, coordination and trust, which influence the process of collaboration and help all crisis management stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities in providing humanitarian aid.

Dynamic mapping of cholera outbreak during the Yemeni Civil War, 2016–2019

Widespread destruction from the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) triggered the world’s largest cholera outbreak. We compiled a comprehensive health dataset and created dynamic maps to demonstrate spatiotemporal changes in cholera infections and war conflicts. We aligned and merged daily, weekly, and monthly epidemiological bulletins of confirmed cholera infections and daily conflict events and fatality records to create a dataset of weekly time series for Yemen at the governorate level (subnational regions administered by governors) from 4 January 2016 through 29 December 2019. We demonstrated the use of dynamic mapping for tracing the onset and spread of infection and manmade factors that amplify the outbreak. We report curated data and visualization techniques to further uncover associations between infectious disease outbreaks and risk factors and to better coordinate humanitarian aid and relief efforts during complex emergencies.

White Savior or Local Hero?: Conflicting Narratives of Help in Haiti

White Savior or Local Hero?:Conflicting Narratives of Help in Haiti Diane M. Hoffman (bio) In 2010, Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake that killed over two hundred thousand people and resulted in a vast but ultimately ineffective international humanitarian aid and relief effort. This article considers how the recent August 2021 earthquake has produced a shift in the rescue and assistance narrative that has emphasized the trope of Haitian agency when responding to hardship and disasters. Based on a critical reading of Facebook posts, online news media, and organization websites, this piece argues that while the current shift toward emphasizing themes of Haitian agency and empowerment appears to be a positive trend, a deeper reading suggests that Haitian notions of help and solidarity conflict with the neoliberal understanding of empowerment. Furthermore, narratives about assistance prioritize emotions of white missionaries and aid workers, revealing the persistence of White Saviorism in representations of Haitian agency. Introduction One of the most devastating natural disasters in the Western Hemisphere, the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti which affected Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas unleashed a globally unprecedented level of humanitarian assistance. Nonetheless, the response to the disaster is widely regarded as a manifest failure. Billions of dollars were funneled through approximately two thousand nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and private contractors, creating a fragmented response that lacked accountability.1 An astoundingly small portion of this aid actually reached the Haitian government and people.2 Furthermore, there was no infrastructure to absorb the sudden influx of supplies and personnel, and needs were defined largely without input from those most affected—indeed, the entire aid apparatus largely excluded Haitian voices and involvement.3 Thousands of young American volunteers, armed with little but good intentions, descended on the capital to "help," straining what were already stressed resources.4 Instead of highlighting Haitians' own rescue and assistance efforts, extensive news coverage of the disaster prominently featured actions of Americans and Europeans,5 reinforcing the sense that Haiti was incapable of helping itself. Eleven years later, the response to the August 2021 earthquake in Southern Haiti was palpably different. Prime Minister Ariel Henry told news media, "We will not repeat the same things that were done in 2010 … A lot of donations were made to the country, and a lot of money was spent without seeing the impact."6 Recognizing that Haiti-based organizations were better positioned to conduct needs assessments and allocate aid, Haitian and Haiti-affiliated diaspora groups, celebrities, and academics sent strong messages on social media platforms and various professional list-serves recommending that would-be donors give to local, Haiti-based organizations rather than to large international relief organizations.7 Further, would-be donors were advised not to send physical resources, but to support the local economy by providing funds for resources to be bought locally.8 Organizations told foreign volunteers to stay home; teams of trained Haitians were instead sent into remote areas to deliver relief. White [End Page 99] missionaries and NGO staff living in Haiti filled social media with comments praising the presence of Haitian relief workers on the scene: "I love to see Haitians helping Haitians!"; "Helping in the South—let's start a movement as we post pictures of Haitians working together!"; "I love to see Haitians so passionately serving one another!"9 In sum, a broad consensus emerged that the response to the recent disaster should prioritize Haitian resources, voices, and agency. This effort to represent Haitians as actors capable of addressing their own needs can be read as a shift in the longstanding narrative of Haitian dependency. Instead of representing the country as dependent on handouts and help from foreigners, recent post-disaster narratives reflect a theme that scholars of international aid in Haiti have been pointing out for some time: the way media and policymakers consistently emphasize the role of foreign actors, initiatives, and resources obscures the fact that Haitians have always helped themselves through strong traditions of collective community responses to hardship and disaster.10 This was as true in 2010 as it was after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which also devastated the southern part of the country.11 As these scholars have pointed out, understanding Haitian traditions...

An Agro-Pastoral Phenological Water Balance Framework for Monitoring and Predicting Growing Season Water Deficits and Drought Stress

Sharing simple ideas across a broad community of practitioners helps them to work together more effectively. For this reason, drought early warning systems spend a considerable effort on describing how hazards are detected and defined. Well-articulated definitions of drought provide a shared basis for collaboration, response planning, and impact mitigation. One very useful measure of agricultural drought stress has been the “Water Requirement Satisfaction Index” (WRSI). In this study, we develop a new, simpler metric of water requirement satisfaction, the Phenological Water Balance (PWB). We describe this metric, compare it to WRSI and yield statistics in a food-insecure region (east Africa), and show how it can be easily combined with analog-based rainfall forecasts to produce end-of-season estimates of growing season water deficits. In dry areas, the simpler PWB metric is very similar to the WRSI. In these regions, we show that the coupling between rainfall deficits and increased reference evapotranspiration amplifies the impacts of droughts. In wet areas, on the other hand, our new metric provides useful information about water excess—seasons that are so wet that they may not be conducive to good agricultural outcomes. Finally, we present a PWB-based forecast example, demonstrating how this framework can be easily used to translate assumptions about seasonal rainfall outcomes into predictions of growing season water deficits. Effective humanitarian relief efforts rely on early projections of these deficits to design and deploy appropriate targeted responses. At present, it is difficult to combine gridded satellite-gauge precipitation forecasts with climate forecasts. Our new metric helps overcome this obstacle. Future extensions could use the water requirement framework to contextualize other water supply indicators, like actual evapotranspiration values derived from satellite observations or hydrologic models.

Monitoring war destruction from space using machine learning

Existing data on building destruction in conflict zones rely on eyewitness reports or manual detection, which makes it generally scarce, incomplete, and potentially biased. This lack of reliable data imposes severe limitations for media reporting, humanitarian relief efforts, human-rights monitoring, reconstruction initiatives, and academic studies of violent conflict. This article introduces an automated method of measuring destruction in high-resolution satellite images using deep-learning techniques combined with label augmentation and spatial and temporal smoothing, which exploit the underlying spatial and temporal structure of destruction. As a proof of concept, we apply this method to the Syrian civil war and reconstruct the evolution of damage in major cities across the country. Our approach allows generating destruction data with unprecedented scope, resolution, and frequency-and makes use of the ever-higher frequency at which satellite imagery becomes available.

Barriers to sustainability in humanitarian medical supply chains

Medical and pharmaceutical products (MPP) are critical elements in humanitarian relief efforts. Relief operations are often burdened with inappropriate and unusable MPP, which leads to the wastage of resources and causes harm to the environment. This study investigates MPP management and facilitates the adoption of sustainability practices in the humanitarian medical supply chain. The study identifies 20 potential barriers for sustainability and categorises them into six different issues (material, operational, logistics, human, funding, and exogenous). Fuzzy best-worst method and analytic network process methodologies were adopted to prioritise barriers according to their degree of influence. Findings from the study suggest that stakeholders should focus attention on the material, operations, and logistical issues. Poor compliance with the World Health Organisation guidelines is reported as the most significant barrier to sustainability. Long-term collaboration and promotion of cash-based donation are suggested as suitable alternatives to product donation. The key recommendations of the study are to sensitise donors and media regarding donation practices and disaster relief victim requirements, build local capacity, design coordination mechanisms, and develop a performance measurement system incorporating the triple bottom line of sustainability. The study outcome reveals connections between barriers to sustainability and sheds light on the socioenvironmental aspect of donations. The study lays a foundation for future research, exploring how to better enable sustainability in the relief supply chain.

Challenges to mental health services for refugees: a global perspective.

Challenges to mental health services for refugees: a global perspective.