Includes statistics.

A comprehensive, best practices resource for public health and healthcare practitioners and students interested in humanitarian emergencies.

This textbook examines a wide range of humanitarian action issues in five parts, presented by specialists from different academic fields. The respective parts reflect the five core modules of the International NOHA Joint Master’s Programme “International Humanitarian Action”: a) World Politics, b) International Law, c) Public Health, d) Anthropology, and e) Management. The book serves as a common basis for teaching at all NOHA universities and aims at imparting the basic knowledge and skills needed to excel in a complex interdisciplinary and international learning context. It provides in-depth information on key international humanitarian principles and values, professional codes of conduct, and the commitment to their implementation in practice. The book will thus be useful for all students of the NOHA Joint Master’s Programme and participants of any courses with a similar content, but also for academics and practitioners affiliated with entities such as international organisations and NGOs. It may also serve as an introduction to anyone with an interest in understanding the numerous and inter-linked facets of humanitarian action.

The International Humanitarian Affairs Reader is a compilation of the most important chapters in the ten volume series published on this topic by Fordham University Press. Each chapter selected has been edited to delete dated material; where appropriate, chapters will have a brief addendum to present current information. The Series Editor, Kevin M. Cahill M.D., will write a substantial introductory essay explaining the academic evolution of the discipline of international humanitarian assistance. It will focus on the "Fordham Experience"--its Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs (IIHA) has developed practical programs for training field workers, especially those dealing with complex emergencies following conflicts, man-made or natural disasters. The book series has been as essential part of this effort. The new International Humanitarian Affairs Reader will be divided into seven sections, each introduced by a "link" page providing continuity for the text. There will be extensive appendices to assist in finding basic acronyms, abbreviations, important conventions, treaties and accepted standards. One appendix will also provide the full table of contents for each volume in the series, and all chapters are available for digital download. The International Humanitarian Affairs Reader, scheduled for publication in Spring 2013, should provide the growing number of people--both within and outside academia--with a better understanding of the multi-faceted demands posed by humanitarian assistance programs. At Fordham University there are programs at both the undergraduate (Minor) and graduate (Masters) levels. Fordham's innovative, very intense, one-month residential course for experienced humanitarian workers--the International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA)--is recognized worldwide. The Institute now has over 2000 graduates from 133 nations. Contributors to The International Humanitarian Affairs Reader include many of the leading figures in international diplomacy, relief and refugee operations, conflict resolution and reconciliation, and transition from disaster to stability and development, from the chaos of war to peace.

Humanitarians are required to be impartial, independent, professionally competent and focused only on preventing and alleviating human suffering. It can be hard living up to these principles when others do not share them, while persuading political and military authorities and non-state actors to let an agency assist on the ground requires savvy ethical skills. Getting first to a conflict or natural catastrophe is only the beginning, as aid workers are usually and immediately presented with practical and moral questions about what to do next. For example, when does working closely with a warring party or an immoral regime move from practical cooperation to complicity in human rights violations? Should one operate in camps for displaced people and refugees if they are effectively places of internment? Do humanitarian agencies inadvertently encourage ethnic cleansing by always being ready to 'mop-up' the consequences of scorched earth warfare? This book has been written to help humanitarians assess and respond to these and other ethical dilemmas.

This is an indispensable career guide for everyone wanting to work in or already working in the international development and humanitarian emergencies sector. It provides a general introduction and insight into the sector, for those exploring it as a potential career, and offers students up-to-date advice when choosing a course, whether it’s at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Should they study International Development, or will Public Health, Environmental studies or Media get them closer to where they want to get? This book offers graduates or career changers who are new to the sector an understanding of what skills and experience will make them stand out above the competition and get that job. It enables those already working in the sector to gain a long term view of where they want to go and how they might structure their professional development to gain the skills and competencies necessary to get their career on to an upward trajectory. This book draws heavily on insiders’ advice, case studies and top tips, to provide the reader with various perspectives and insights. How do you become a country director for an international NGO? How can one become a gender mainstreaming expert? What can you do to get in to consultancy? Career trajectories, Career clinics Q&A boxes and the personal planner in the appendix will help you get to where you want to go. It also gives a detailed account of the myriad of careers and specialism available within the sector and methodologically describes the pros and cons of each option. So if you are not sure where you want to go with your career, you will be after you have read this book. Whether it’s Programme Management, becoming an Environmental Advisor, or an Acadmic this book will give you an insight into what the job entails and how you can get in to it. It will be an invaluable guide to all readers, irrespective of their country of origin, who are interested in the sector.