Humanitarian Crises
The Medical and Public Health Response
Published on 15. July 1999
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-0-674-15515-2 (ISBN)
Description
Since the late 1980s the international relief community has seen its resources and personnel stressed beyond capacity by humanitarian crises--large-scale, man-made catastrophes such as the conflicts in Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Chechnya, Zaire, and elsewhere. Waged within collapsing states, political and ethnic strife targets civilians, causes mass population dislocation and widespread human rights abuses, and impedes the efforts of relief organizations to respond effectively. Covering topics ranging from emergency public health measures to the psychological trauma of relief workers, this volume presents both a seasoned assessment of current practice and proposals for improving operational efforts in the future. The discussion also raises important questions relating to the definition and direction of the overall humanitarian mission.
Reviews / Votes
The editors have assembled the thoughts and experiences of many of the leaders in the field of humanitarian relief. [Humanitarian Crises] reflects the collective wisdom garnered from the experiences of nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations in responding to crises in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the former Yugoslavia. It is rich in thoughtful discussion of the complexity of such crises and the limitations as well as the successes of humanitarian-relief programs. -- Douglas Lyon * New England Journal of Medicine * Peace-keeping operations which are not based on the humanitarian dimension are useless and doomed. This book will help us to understand that reality, too often forgotten. -- Boutros Boutros-Ghali "Humanitarian crisis" is a term of the nineties that denotes the extreme suffering of tens of millions of people driven from their homes--dependent on humanitarian aid and destitute for lack of shelter, security, food, clean water, and basic care. These emergencies can be sudden-onset events or last for years of civil strife. The health impact is evident, but not well studied or documented. A body of knowledge related to the adverse health effects of humanitarian crises is now accumulating, but it requires careful analysis so we can apply the experience gained during one emergency to the management of the next. Humanitarian Crises provides the results of such analysis as well as practical recommendations about how to apply these painfully learned lessons. -- Gro Harlem Brundtland, M.D., M.P.H., Director-General, World Health OrganizationMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
25 line illustrations, 16 halftones, 5 tables
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
717 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-15515-2 (9780674155152)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jennifer Leaning is Director of the Harvard FXB Center and FXB Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights at the T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University. Susan M. Briggs, M.D., is Attending Surgeon in General and Trauma Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School. Lincoln C. Chen is President of the China Medical Board.
Content
List of Contributors Foreword Thomas S. Durant Preface Lincoln C. Chen Introduction Jennifer Leaning Part I: ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION 1. The Role of Rapid Assessment Michael J. Toole 2. Public Health Interventions Eric K. Noji and Brent T. Burkholder 3. Classic Concepts in Disaster Medical Response Susan M. Briggs and Mark Leong 4. Emergency Care Jennifer Leaning Part II: MENTAL HEALTH 5. Disaster Mental Health: The U.S. Experience and Beyond Brian W. Flynn 6. Mental Health and Psychosocial Effects of Mass Violence Richard F. Mollica 7 Psychological Trauma and Relief Workers Ruth A. Barron Part III: NORMATIVE AND PRACTICAL ISSUES 8. The New Ethical Boundaries Sissela Bok 9. Human Rights Challenges Aryeh Neier and Jennifer Leaning 10. Complex Emergencies and NGOs: The Example of CARE Marc Lindenberg 11. Coordination of Health Relief: The Experience of the American Red Cross Judith B. Lee Part IV: THE ROLE OF THE MILITARY 12. Military Support of Relief: A Cautionary Review Trueman W. Sharp, George A. Luz, and Joel C. Gaydos 13. Military Security: Lessons for Relief Frederick M. Burkle, Jr. 14. The Risks of Military Participation Pierre Perrin Conclusion Jennifer Leaning Notes Acknowledgments Credits Index