Humanitarian Aid in Sudden Onset and Progressive Disasters

Abstract

Disasters are becoming more frequent as demonstrated in Fig. 28.1. Humanitarian aid may be defined as assisting people in need, usually in a disaster area, with materials, logistics, and specialized skills. There are several agencies worldwide that have the ability to perform this mission. In general, external aid may be of great value until local infrastructure is restored to a point that it can be functional. However, it can be a burden if not done properly. Images surfacing from disaster areas will always focus on the most visible effects of the incident and may not reflect the actual need for assistance.