Course description
Humanitarian aid matters. In zones of war and conflict, humanitarian relief organizations provide lifesaving aid to populations in distress, including medical treatment, water, food, and shelter from hazardous conditions. Increasingly, humanitarian aid is also delivered in so-called complex emergencies, meaning a humanitarian crisis that does not result from conflict alone but from a combination of conflict and violence caused be political instability, underlying social inequalities, and poverty. This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to contemporary humanitarian action, including the response to global health crises such as pandemics. Based on an examination of the history and different theoretical approaches to humanitarian action, the course untangles the complex web of international humanitarian actors, their aims, and operational challenges in different field environments.
