Global Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Medicine
Fundamental Humanitarian Principles
1. Humanity: Assistance is provided without discrimination to prevent and alleviate suffering, to protect life and health, and to ensure respect for the human being. Aid is intended to promote mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation, and lasting peace.
2. Universality: All victims of conflict, disaster, or calamity are worthy of assistance and protection.
3. Impartiality: Assistance and protection are due to all victims of a conflict, no matter the side of the conflict they are on, without regard to race, religion, class, or political affiliation. Aid is given strictly and proportionately according to the need, and priority is given to the most urgent cases.
4. Neutrality: Humanitarians do not take sides and must stand apart from the political issues unless the treatment of humans is egregious.
5. Independence: Humanitarians remain independent of political or other affiliations whose interests, past actions, and policies may impinge on universality and impartiality.
6. Voluntary: Relief is provided on a voluntary basis and not prompted by desire for personal, political, or financial gain.
Needs in Humanitarian Crises
1. Initial assessment: thorough and rapid to assess the current situation, identify existing and necessary resources, interventions needed, and possibilities for specific interventions
a. Each individual should have, on average, 15 L/day (15.9 qt/day) of clean water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. The goal is to provide 20 L/day (21.1 qt/day).
b. Water-gathering points should be within 500 m (1640 ft) of each household.
c. Lines to gather water should be no longer than 15 minutes. The time to fill 20-L (21.1-qt) containers should be 3 minutes or less.
a. A maximum of 20 persons should use each toilet.
b. Toilets (generally latrines) should ideally be provided for each household.
c. Community toilets should be segregated by gender.
d. Large pit latrines may be needed.
e. Toilets should be no further than 50 m (164 ft) from homes. They should be kept maintained and clean.
f. Security from assaults should be provided around community toilets.
a. Provide 2100 kcal/day of food.
b. Assess the global acute malnutrition rate, paying particular attention to populations at risk (e.g., children under 5 years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers, the chronically ill).
c. Provide micronutrients to populations exhibiting symptoms or at risk for deficiencies.
d. Use local food sources when available.
e. Refer to the International Committee of the Red Cross Nutrition Manual for Humanitarian Action.
a. Temporary shelters should provide a minimum of 3.5 m2 (37.7 sq ft) of covered space per person.
b. Ensure adequate access to water, toilets, and health care facilities.
c. Try to keep families and social networks intact.
d. Provide clothing, bedding, pots, plates, utensils, soap, and burial materials.
e. Build on a site with no more than 6% gradient and proximity to water supplies and a transportation route.
a. Provide adequate lighting and gender-separated latrines.
b. Provide security personnel.
c. Protect from invading forces and on-site crime.
d. Consider creating a physical barrier or perimeter around the camp.
a. Be prepared for acute, chronic, and epidemic illnesses, as well as injuries and malnutrition.
b. Be prepared for mental health issues.
c. Health care facilities should be equipped to care for medical and surgical conditions, obstetrics, and chronic diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis.
8. Control of communicable diseases and epidemics (refer to Communicable Disease Control in Emergencies: A Field Manual by the World Health Organization)
a. Diseases to anticipate are infectious diarrhea, measles, respiratory diseases, and malnutrition. One must also be prepared to treat malaria, meningococcal meningitis, typhus, hepatitis, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic viruses, such as yellow fever and dengue.
b. Consider mass vaccinations.
c. Identify laboratories to assist in identification of epidemic diseases.
Causes of Epidemic Disease in Acute Crisis
Suggested Packing List for Responders to Humanitarian Crises
Items with an asterisk (*) should be packed in your carry-on bag.
Documents
Immunization card* (plus copy)
Letter of invitation by nongovernmental organization*
Medical evacuation insurance card* (plus copy)
Driver’s license (consider an international driver’s license)*
ATM/credit cards (may not work)*
Cash (generally U.S. currency, but check with contacts)*
