Humanitarian Aid in Complex Emergencies

With more than 50 million refugees and IDPs worldwide, the largest number since World War II, there is an unprecedented need for humanitarian assistance. While the current situation is critical and has stretched the international humanitarian system to the breaking point, the global refugee crisis will only worsen over the next decades as climate changes are expected to uproot tens of millions of people, particularly in developing countries. This course explores the current state of the humanitarian aid system, and discusses the strategies and practices involved in relief operations. It revolves around two major issues. One, by focusing on the policies, plans, and structures that the host country, NGOs, and the international community in collaboration have put in place, it seeks to provide students with an understanding of the bureaucratic/administrative side of crisis management. Two, the course aims to give students an insight into the daily lives of refugees/IDPs living in camps/urban settlements, and the experiences of aid workers who seek to alleviate the suffering.