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Emerging Issues and Future Needs in Humanitarian Assistance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Michael J. VanRooyen ,
Steven Hansch ,
Donna Curtis  and
Gilbert Burnham
Michael J. VanRooyen*
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Steven Hansch
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Donna Curtis
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gilbert Burnham
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
*
The Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, 1830 E. Monument Street, Suite 6-100, Baltimore, MD 21305, USA Email: mvanrooy@jhmi.edu
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Abstract

During the past two decades, there has been tremendous investment in the ability to intervene in disaster settings, and significant barriers remain to providing appropriate services to populations affected by natural and manmade calamities. Many of the barriers to providing effective assistance exist within the NGO community, and illustrate emerging needs for international agencies. These emerging needs include improving methods of recipient participation to promote the local health system, developing improved methods for quality assurance, enhancing options for personnel development, and addressing long-term needs of reconstruction and rehabilitation. Relief agencies face challenges on all levels to develop sound practices in providing humanitarian assistance that can lead to long-term benefits to populations affected by disaster.

Keywords

aidassistance, humaniarianbarrierscomplex emergenciesdangersdatadevelopmentdisastereffectsefficiencyevaluationhealth systemmanagersnongovernmental agenciesparticipationpolicymakingpreventionrecipientsreformvolunteersworkers, field
Type
Part 1. Complex Emergencies: Lessons Learned
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 16 , Special Issue 4: Complex Emergencies , December 2001 , pp. 216 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2001

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