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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2010
Disasters create specific problems shaped by both the type of event (earthquake, volcanic eruption, war) and its consequences (sudden or gradual impact on the victims).
The process that unleashes a disaster is often more complex than appears at first glance. For example, drought is obviously caused by poor climatic conditions, but it may also be precipitated by human behaviour detrimental to the environment.
While internal conflicts do not always have a direct and major impact on civilians beyond the casualties they claim, the breakdown of local services, particularly medical care and food supply, may have dire effects on health and nutrition, so that the entire civilian population falls victim to the situation.
1 Local services tend to break down in conflict situations owing to the fact that human and financial resources are diverted to the military sector, which takes priority.
2 The new approach has in fact long been advocated by “responsible” disaster relief agencies.
3 The word “natural” is used here in opposition to “conflict-related”, and not to define the cause of the disaster.
4 Provided, in conflict situations, by the ICRC.
5 These findings must be compared with the normal situation in the country.
6 In the case of rural populations in developing countries, seasonal fluctuations in malnutrition rates must be taken into account. These correspond to normal variations in the availability of food at the family level.
7 Malnutrition may stem from a situation in which access to food supplies has been disrupted for political reasons. In such cases ICRC efforts focus on restoring the food supply rather than distributing substitute rations.
8 Article 14 of Protocol II additional to the Geneva Conventions, which pertains to the protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, provides that: “Starvation of civilians as a method of combat is prohibited. It is therefore prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless, for that purpose, objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies and irrigation works”.
9 On the Angolan Planalto, the reduction of the area available for cultivation owing to dangerous conditions and the fact that farmers were prohibited from going beyond certain boundaries has deprived people of part of their normal food supply.
10 The ICRC has carried out many food distribution programmes. In 1985 it provided food for over 800,000 people in Ethiopia.
11 At the very least, water must be free from enteric colibacilli.
12 For example, the standard amount considered necessary in camps for the displaced is 20–25 litres per person per day.
13 The ICRC has obtained neutral status for many hospitals in conflict situations, most recently in Lebanon and Sri Lanka.
14 This is only a broad outline which does not deal with quantitative aspects, such as the number of people to be reached, the target nutritional level and the time available.
15 Why wait until people fall ill when disease can be prevented?
16 A healthy person is less of a financial burden than a sick one.
17 The most recent example in Europe was probably the Second World War.
18 Save the Children Fund.
19 Médecins sans Frontières.
20 See “Training medical personnel: HELP and SOS courses”, pp. 505–512.Google Scholar
