Humanitarian Aid Research Articles

“Presence and Preparedness”: The U.S. Military, Humanitarian Assistance, and Entangled Histories in Cold War Germany

During the night of January 17–18, 1955, the rain-swollen Rhine and Neckar rivers crested. At their confluence, inhabitants of the German city of Mannheim scrambled to protect their homes and property. Residents of the small islands on the outskirts of the city faced imminent disaster.

The U.S. Military: A Reluctant Humanitarian

Since the end of the Second World War, the U.S. military has been among the most important providers of humanitarian assistance, particularly in the wake of natural disasters and conflict. Yet, aid organizations rarely consider the U.S. military a humanitarian actor, and military personnel do not identify primarily as humanitarians. Nevertheless, the logistics and manpower capacities of the U.S. military have often pushed it into humanitarian spheres. Once involved, however, the traditional humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence do not drive the military provision of humanitarian assistance. Instead, military personnel approach humanitarian assistance through their training, namely, moving items, building things, and managing people. They often pair a training-based framework with a general sense of helping those in need. The U.S. military is a humanitarian actor, but coming to grips with that requires reimaging humanitarianism. To explore the military as humanitarian, this essay first examines how the demands of logistics pushed the U.S. military into becoming a provider of refugee assistance in Albania during the 1999 Kosovo crisis. It then uses the 2021 evacuation and resettlement of Afghans to explore how the U.S. military's ready pool of manpower led it to become more deeply involved in humanitarian responses. Humanitarian crises are almost invariably complex and messy. The moral imperative to help those in need interacts with political and security priorities in often uncomfortable ways. That confluence helps explain why the U.S. military assists with some, but not other, crises.

Value dimensions of volunteer activity as an area of moral growth and civic participation of student youth

Problem and objective. In the context of exacerbation of humanitarian risks and challenges to contemporary society, there is a problem of including students in socially salutary work within the framework of volunteer activity by accustoming them the key volunteer values. The aim of the study is to clarify and develop the value parameters of student social volunteering in a region of increased humanitarian tension. Research methods. The study used methods of axiological reconstruction of the mental space of volunteering, expert assessments, document analysis, focus group method, thesaurus analysis, value maps method, thematic discussions, and psychodrama method. Monitoring and experimental procedures included 144 students of the Belgorod National Research University and 11 experts in the field of volunteer and humanitarian services. The diagnostic work used the following methods: motivational personality profile test, emotional orientation test, 16 PF Questionnaire, Rokeach Value Survey (adaptation by D.A. Leontyev). Statistical methods included percentage data distribution, parametric statistics, and significance of differences analyzing method (Student's t-test). Results of the study. A diagnostic study revealed a significant role of values in the psychological characteristics of students constantly participating in volunteer work. Compared to students who left volunteering, they had higher values such as: happiness of others (tEMP=9.3), productive life (tEMP=4.8), creativity (tEMP=5.3), forgiveness (tEMP=9.1), delicacy (tEMP=9.4), broad-mindedness (tEMP=8.8). Ex-volunteer students express a greater value of freedom (tEMP=14.7), inner harmony (tEMP=15.1) and independence (tEMP=15.8). No significant differences were found among other properties. Both groups of students equally exhibited growth needs, altruistic orientation, rule-consciousness, emotional stability and self-reliance. Students who left volunteering showed higher vigilance (“L”, tEMP=5.1), dominance (“E”, tEMP=5.4), apprehension (“O”, tEMP=5.5) and some egocentricity. Taking into account the key role of the value factor in consolidating students in the field of volunteering, the work proposes a construct of its value dimensions as moral-sense parameters for orienting students to volunteer work. The following value clusters were identified in the study as such key dimensions: humanism, patriotism, solidarity and unselfishness. These dimensions became the basis for corrective work with students. The use of special value maps of volunteer, thematically reflective discussions and meetings, as well as psychodramatic sketches to reproduce students’ life stories made it possible to strengthen their desire and motivation to participate in volunteer work. The majority of students (88% of the total) decided to continue their work as active volunteers. Conclusion. The construct of value dimensions proposed in this study has no exact analogues in studies of youth participation in volunteering, since it reflects the specifics of volunteer work in a region of increased humanitarian tension, which is its conceptual significance and applied value in engaging students to this work.

Traditional and Modern Disaster Resistant House Construction Techniques

A large portion of the wealth of any nation is invested in its built-up environment viz, housing, infrastructure, industrial and commercial facilities. The quality of this built-up environment, expressed in terms of durability, safety and functionality, is a determining factor for the quality of life and economic development of the society, and the competitiveness of its industry and services. Extensive loss of this wealth is caused by natural disasters that strike periodically. A natural disaster is an event of nature that causes sudden destruction, damaging the economy and social structure on a massive scale. The calamity results in a huge financial burden in terms of relief and rescue operations. All-round decline in production, unemployment, indebtedness as well as increased cost of goods and services are the other debilitating results of natural disasters. This research paper deals with the traditional as well as modern disaster resistant construction techniques to meet the aftermath of disasters. It examines the issue of damage to Reinforced Concrete Cement (RCC) buildings by underlying the necessity of adherence to building codes and standards. Some recent advances in housing technology are also highlighted.

A First Responder to the World

In the twenty-first century, providing humanitarian assistance to other nations forms an essential part of the U.S. military's mission. Designed to “relieve or reduce endemic conditions such as human suffering, disease, hunger, [and] privation,” the military's humanitarian tasks include such activities as assisting refugees, delivering food and medical equipment to partner nations, and removing unexploded landmines.1 But among the most recognized—and best publicized—of the U.S. Armed Forces’ humanitarian activities are its foreign disaster relief operations. In response to such recent catastrophes as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 tsunami in Japan, 2019's Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, and the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey, the Department of Defense launched extensive humanitarian operations. Taking advantage of the U.S. military's vast global footprint, military leaders dispatched ships and aircraft, service personnel, relief supplies, equipment, and other material and logistical aid to the scene of these crises and to many others like them globally.2 Carried out for the humanitarian goals of saving lives and reducing suffering, each of these foreign disaster aid operations also shared a critical diplomatic objective: “generating goodwill” for the United States and creating a “favorable impression” of its armed forces.3 Never purely altruistic, the U.S. military's responses to global disasters also function as a valuable instrument of contemporary U.S. foreign policy.

Individual and social determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and uptake in Northwest Syria

IntroductionThe COVID-19 outbreak devastated the fragmented health system in Syria, a war-torn country, and exaggerated the demands for humanitarian assistance. COVID-19 vaccination was rolled out in Northwest Syria, an area out of government control, in May 2021. However, vaccine acceptance rates are still minimal, which is reflected in the meager percentage of vaccinated people. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the humanitarian actors’ plans to address the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and conclude practical strategies for boosting vaccine uptake in Northwest Syria.Methods and materialsTwo questionnaires were developed to collect data from humanitarian organizations involved in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and people from northwest Syria. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22 data analysis program.ResultsAccording to the findings, 55.5% of people refused the COVID-19 vaccine. The results showed a knowledge gap and lack of evidence regarding humanitarian actors’ strategies to address the vaccine’s low uptake. Besides, it was found that doctors and medical workers were reliable sources of information about the vaccine. However, they were not systematically engaged in community mobilization and risk communication to promote people’s perspectives on the vaccine.ConclusionRisk communication and community engagement programs were not significantly associated with increasing the COVID-19 acceptance rate. Humanitarian actors must reconsider their strategies to address vaccine hesitancy in Northwest Syria. These strategies should engage medical professionals through dialogue sessions on the realities of the pandemic and vaccine development mechanism based on a compelling and evidence-based approach.

Climate Change Impact Assessment and Disaster Risk Financing Strategies in Mali: A Comprehensive Analysis of Drought and Flood Events

Climate change impact increasingly led to humanitarian assistance increase and needed. To better address climate change impacts mitigation, a suitable financing instrument is essential to facilitate government, humanitarian, and other stakeholders' finance mobilization. However, few studies have been done on disaster risk profiling to guide decision-makers in their choices. Disaster risk profile analysis has been conducted in Mali to facilitate financial resources mobilization and climate finance instrument choice by identifying Historical drought and flood events. To do so, published papers; and some international institution websites dealing with climate hazard events such as Reliefweb, Hazard/risk, climate information services, Relief Web; CRED- EM-DAT; World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal, World Bank- UNDRR -ThinkHazard, WFP ARC/GeoNode/VAM/DataViz addressing Mali country have been assimilated for evidence accumulation and synthesis and presented in a database. Furthermore, national statistics and national reports on hazards have been also reviewed. Before starting the reading exercise, a reading/analytical framework has been elaborated. In Mali the year 1984 to 2019, 21 flood events occurred in Mali and the most exposed regions to floods are Koulikoro, Bamako and Gao. From 1969 to 2020, 21 drought events were registered in in Mali and the most affected regions are Koulikoro, Mopti, Gao, Kayes. The time return period of drought has been estimated to 3 years while the time return of flood has been estimated to be about 2 years. Drought events are less frequent than flood events, however, drought events affect more population than floods. Also, Also, the yearly response cost for drought events is USD million 277.46 with an average US USD 204.37 cost per affected population. For the flood, even the yearly response cost is USD 11.107 million With USD 261.82 per affected population. Macro-insurance and CAT bonds are more suitable disaster risk financing instruments and are recommended to better address drought events while Anticipatory action and government contingency funds are more suitable climate disaster risk financing instruments to better address flood events in Mali.

Rethinking affects of care through power

Abstract This introduction outlines the contemporary emergence of new forms of informal crisis-related care, which both complement and contradict classical forms of humanitarian assistance. The introduction traces the spread, blurring, and differentiation of novel forms of non-state assistance and support against the backdrop of increasingly widespread criticism of large-scale international aid. Tackling regimes of care beyond the exceptionality of a crisis notion, the introduction then summarizes how the three contributions and the commentary to this theme section employ the lens of affect for exploring how these highly intersubjective forms of encounter are experienced, performed, and reflected on.

Food insecurity in Haiti from a social lens

Haiti grapples with a deepening food crisis, as 4.7 million people face acute insecurity, a stark rise since 2019. The Food and Agricultural Organization cites armed gang violence, diminished agricultural output, and the 2021 earthquake as primary factors. Gangs exacerbate the situation by controlling ports, causing fuel shortages, and disrupting essential services. While solutions proposed by international organizations range from criminal institution reform to foreign military intervention, locals and NGOs question their efficacy. The earthquake adds to the woes, necessitating immediate humanitarian aid, though delayed assistance raises doubts about Haiti's dependency on foreign aid organizations and the government's efficacy. In the backdrop of economic turmoil, a faltering agriculture system, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Haiti's challenges persist, calling for comprehensive, long-term strategies addressing the root cause—social and governmental instability.

MANAGEMENT OF DISASTER THROUGH KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY ON SAMBALPUR DISTRICT, ODISHA

Odisha is one of the hazard-prone state and suffers both natural and man-made hazards extensively threatening millions of lives and causing large-scale losses. Disaster management in India also saw a paradigm shift after 2002 from-the humanitarian relief and rehabilitation of victims to the holistic management of disasters viewpoint. The present research addressed this absence of information related to hazards and disasters affecting the district-level Sambalpur. This research aimed to find out some aid in the management of disasters at the district level by collecting and synthesizing all related information about disasters that occur in Sambalpur using an integrated approach. The research used publicly available tools as well as data from credible sources (e.g., government reports). To full-fill the aim, the research compiled information about disasters in the Sambalpur district and prepares a spatial database. Based on socio-economic factors-population density and working population, exposure of the blocks was calculated. Risk and exposure to it assisted in making a vulnerability map of the district at the block level. Based on vulnerability, blocks were prioritized for the policy-makers to ease their management in pre-during and post-disaster situations. The result of this paper would assist policy makers to take proper and quick decisions for the management of the blocks making their management efficient and effective and it could be replicated for other districts of Odisha and India.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE BUDGET SYSTEM OF UKRAINE IN THE FACE OF EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES AND THREATS

Full-scale hostilities have had a significant impact on the budget system due to increased spending on defense, reconstruction, and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups, which has affected the accumulation of budgetary resources. The article examines the impact of extraordinary challenges and threats on the national budget system, in particular, on the structure and volume of budget revenues and expenditures, the growth of the budget deficit and public debt, changes in regulation in the field of public finance, and the potential of financial capabilities of the regions. The purpose of the article is to make a scientific and practical assessment of the problematic aspects related to the transformation of the budget system, to outline the ways of attracting financial resources that can be used for the purpose of distribution and redistribution to perform the functions of the State, to identify the main areas of influence of emergency challenges and threats on the budget system of Ukraine and the priority areas and measures of budget policy in wartime.The authors conclude that the strategic and main directions of Ukraine's development need to be improved in the strategy of public finance management and financial and economic security as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies by the IMF. At the same time, the relevant legislative changes to the state budget for 2023 that meet the needs of Ukraine are studied, and the implementation of the first preparatory stage for the development of the National Revenue Strategy is analyzed. The authors emphasize the positive impact of decentralization on local self-government and the financial sustainability of local budgets. It is proposed to empower communities through monitoring the implementation of local budgets. In the context of defense needs, the possibility of including defense expenditures during martial law in local budgets is considered.

An agent-based framework to study forced migration: A case study of Ukraine.

The ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine has forced over eight million people to migrate out of Ukraine. Understanding the dynamics of forced migration is essential for policy-making and for delivering humanitarian assistance. Existing work is hindered by a reliance on observational data which is only available well after the fact. In this work, we study the efficacy of a data-driven agent-based framework motivated by social and behavioral theory in predicting outflow of migrants as a result of conflict events during the initial phase of the Ukraine war. We discuss policy use cases for the proposed framework by demonstrating how it can leverage refugee demographic details to answer pressing policy questions. We also show how to incorporate conflict forecast scenarios to predict future conflict-induced migration flows. Detailed future migration estimates across various conflict scenarios can both help to reduce policymaker uncertainty and improve allocation and staging of limited humanitarian resources in crisis settings.

Enhancing support system: Identifying and addressing service gaps in humanitarian response to Ukrainian refugees in Georgia

The war in Ukraine changed hundreds of millions of lives. Families have been displaced, communities have been disrupted and the region's social fabric has been significantly altered. The consequences of this conflict extend far beyond geographical boundaries, touching the lives of not only those directly affected by the war but also resonating on a global scale. As we delve into the complexities of this conflict and its aftermath, it becomes clear that understanding its implications requires a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted challenges and transformations that have emerged. This exploration is crucial to shedding light on the experiences of those affected and developing strategies for addressing the far-reaching consequences of the war in Ukraine. More than 180,000 citizens of Ukraine have entered the territory of Georgia since February 24, 2022 (UNHCR, 2023). As of November 2022, around 25,000 remain in Georgia. Around 25% of Ukrainians staying in Georgia are minors. The present study aims to investigate and describe the needs assessment process among refugees with disabilities from Ukraine and gaps in response to this crisis from the volunteering organization in Tbilisi.

Blockchain for social good: A review of applications in humanitarian aid and social initiatives

Blockchain technology has emerged as a revolutionary force with the potential to address pressing social challenges and transform traditional paradigms in humanitarian aid and social initiatives. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the diverse applications of blockchain in fostering social good, particularly in the realms of humanitarian aid and social initiatives. The decentralized and transparent nature of blockchain offers a paradigm shift in the way charitable organizations operate and deliver aid. Smart contracts on blockchain enable transparent and tamper-resistant transactions, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and reach intended beneficiaries. The elimination of intermediaries reduces the risk of corruption and ensures a more direct and accountable flow of funds. In the context of humanitarian aid, blockchain facilitates the creation of decentralized identity systems, ensuring secure and verifiable identities for displaced populations. This aids in the efficient delivery of aid, as well as financial inclusion for those without access to traditional banking services. Moreover, blockchain enhances supply chain transparency, enabling the tracking of donations from inception to distribution, reducing fraud and ensuring the authenticity of goods. Social initiatives, too, benefit from blockchain's transformative capabilities. Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) enable communities to collectively make decisions and manage resources. This fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment among participants, promoting sustainable social development. Additionally, blockchain-based token economies incentivize positive behaviors, encouraging individuals to contribute to social causes in meaningful ways. Despite these promising applications, challenges such as scalability, regulatory uncertainties, and technological literacy remain. This paper calls for continued research and collaboration to unlock the full potential of blockchain for social good, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions that can address the unique challenges faced by humanitarian and social initiatives.

The racial biopolitics of humanitarianism in Africa: examining European resilience-building in the Sahel and lake Chad Basin

The racial biopolitics of humanitarianism in Africa: examining European resilience-building in the Sahel and lake Chad Basin

The Role Of The Indonesian National Armed Forces In World Peace Operations

The Role Of The Indonesian National Armed Forces In World Peace Operations

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a transdiagnostic intervention for alcohol misuse and psychological distress in humanitarian settings: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in Uganda

BackgroundThe war in South Sudan has displaced more than four million people, with Uganda hosting the largest number of South Sudanese refugees. Research in Uganda has shown elevated levels of alcohol misuse and psychological distress among these refugees. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a trans-diagnostic scalable psychological intervention called Problem Management Plus (PM +) to reduce psychological distress among populations exposed to adversities. Our study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the CHANGE intervention, which builds on PM + , to also address alcohol misuse through problem-solving therapy and selected behavioural strategies for dealing with alcohol use disorders. We hypothesise that the CHANGE intervention together with enhanced usual care (EUC) will be superior to EUC alone in increasing the percentage of days abstinent.MethodsA parallel-arm individually randomised controlled trial will be conducted in the Rhino Camp and Imvepi settlements in Uganda. Five hundred adult male South Sudanese refugees with (i) elevated levels of alcohol use (between 8 and 20 on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test [AUDIT]); and (ii) psychological distress (> 16 on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale) will be randomly assigned 1:1 to EUC or CHANGE and EUC. CHANGE will be delivered by lay healthcare providers over 6 weeks. Outcomes will be assessed at 3 and 12 months post-randomisation. The primary outcome is the percentage of days abstinent, measured by the timeline follow-back measure at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include percentage of days abstinent at 12 months and alcohol misuse (measured by the AUDIT), psychological distress (i.e. depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder), functional disability, perpetration of intimate partner violence, and health economic indicators at 3 and 12 months. A mixed-methods process evaluation will investigate competency, dose, fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability. Primary analyses will be intention-to-treat.DiscussionCHANGE aims to address alcohol misuse and psychological distress with male refugees in a humanitarian setting. If it is proven to be effective, it can help fill an important under-researched gap in humanitarian service delivery.Trial registrationISRCTN ISRCTN10360385. Registered on 30 January 2023.

Managing forced migration: Overt and covert policies to limit the influx of Ukrainian refugees

AbstractThe Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in massive refugee migration. In this article we consider how the European Union (EU) and the United States have so far managed this influx of people. For reasons explained in the article, the EU is more focused on humanitarian aid, while the United States is especially engaged through military aid. The EU and the United States have historically employed both overt and covert means of limiting refugee migration, and this has been especially the case with migrants of color. Ukrainian refugees have no problem entering EU countries and receiving help (work permits, housing, etc.), while the United States uses various ways that make entry into the United States fairly complicated and thus contain Ukrainian migration (e.g., difficulty filling out applications, finding a sponsor in the United States).

Suspicious business: COVID-19 vaccination in Palabek refugee settlement, northern Uganda

Dichotomised debates in public health discourse regarding COVID-19 vaccine supply and vaccine hesitancy do not capture the realities of vaccine uptake in Palabek refugee settlement, northern Uganda. Issues of supply, which analyse manufacture and distribution, foreground global inequalities and political influences. In contrast, vaccine hesitancy, emphasing rectifying deficiencies in knowledge and trust, leaves little room for the politics that shape vaccine uptake. The ‘vaccine anxieties’ framework problematises these dichotomised debates and proposes consideration of bodily, social and political dimensions.This article builds on the vaccine anxieties framework in relation to ethnographic research conducted in Palabek. Using the worldview of Acholi refugees from South Sudan, a focus on ‘suspicious business’ demonstrates that debates surrounding vaccine supply and hesitancy are intertwined, and, additionally, suggests spiritual elements should be paid greater attention.In Palabek, inconsistencies in distribution directly impacted vaccine uptake. Furthermore, vaccine interventions that built on deficiency models did not work. Vaccine uptake was inseparable from its biopolitical context that continued to perpetuate the same unequal dynamics of power and control that kept wealth circulating amongst certain powers, whilst others faced worsening precarity but remained perpetual recipients of humanitarian assistance and global health intervention, with little prospect of meaningful change.Suspicious business captures fluid dynamics that move between spiritual and physical realms, capturing wider geopolitical dynamics as they are revealed in everyday lives. In doing so, this flexible approach reveals the centrality of the politics of COVID-19, whilst constantly incorporating evolving dynamics. This flexibility provides potential for improving vaccine uptake, if wider geopolitical inequalities are addressed.

Strengthening laboratories in response to outbreaks in humanitarian emergencies and conflict settings: Results, challenges and lessons from expanding PCR diagnostic capacities for COVID-19 testing in Yemen.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, Yemen, a country facing years of conflict had only one laboratory with PCR testing capacity. In this article, we describe the outcome of the implementation of molecular based diagnostics platform in Yemen and highlight the key milestones the country went through to increase access to testing for its populations residing in a geographically vast and politically divided country. A retrospective assessment of COVID-19 laboratory response activities was done detailing the needs assessment process, timelines, geographical coverage, and outcomes of the activities. Laboratory data was analyzed to construct the geographical locations of COVID-19 testing laboratories and the numbers of tests performed in each facility to highlight the demands of testing for travelers. Finally, we discuss the impact these activities had in enabling the movement of people across international borders for economic gains and in delivery of critical humanitarian aid. PCR testing capacities in Yemen significantly improved, from one laboratory in Sanaa in April 2020 to 18 facilities across the country by June 2022. In addition, the number of functional Real-Time PCR thermocyclers increased from one to 32, the PCR tests output per day improved from 192 to 6144 tests per day. Results from analysis of laboratory data showed there were four peaks of COVID-19 in Yemen as October 2022. The majority of laboratory tests were performed for travelers than for medical or public health reasons. Demand for laboratory testing in Yemen was generally low and waned over time as the perceived risk of COVID-19 declined, in parallel with rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. The successful expansion of laboratory testing capacity was instrumental in the control and management of COVID-19 cases and critical in the implementation of public response strategies, including restrictions on gathering. Laboratory testing also facilitated the movement of humanitarian agencies and delivery of aid and enabled hundreds of thousands of Yemeni nationals to travel internationally. By virtue of these outcomes, the impact of laboratory strengthening activities was thus felt in the health sector and beyond.