Disasters
-
The humanitarian crisis which followed in the wake of the genocidal regime in Rwanda in 1994 generated massive media attention and an unprecedented outpouring of international public and private assistance. In late 1997, the Rwanda refugee population in Zaire was subjected to a disaster of similarly epic proportions as a result of military action. ⋯ This paper seeks to document and account for the demise of the humanitarian imperative. It confronts a number of the criticisms of humanitarian action, concluding that, rather than being flawed, traditional humanitarian values remain valid and should be defended wherever there are situations of conflict.
-
The Rwanda evaluation has been termed a landmark in evaluation, not only because of its quality and the insights it has produced. It was also an unprecedented international collaboration to learn the lessons from the immense tragedy that was the genocide in Rwanda and its aftermath. This paper reports on the rationale, process and management of the joint evaluation of the international response to the Great Lakes crisis of 1994-5.
-
Different refugee camps may have widely differing morbidity and mortality rates. Some of these differences are ascribed to environmental factors. This paper reviews the key issues relating to one environmental factor: the size of the refugee camp, and provides a tentative theoretical framework for examining the effect of camp size on refugees. ⋯ This may increase refugee dependency and vulnerability. There is some slight evidence from the analysis of data provided by Mercer (1992) that child mortality rates (aged 0-4 years) are positively correlated with camp size (as inferred from child populations). If other factors allow, it might be wise for camp planners to try to limit camps to a size which allows refugees reasonable access to local resources.
-
The WTC disaster provided an opportunity to look for ways to prevent morbidity among occupants of high-rise buildings during fires. This paper first describes the overall morbidity resulting from the explosion and fire, and second, presents the results of a case-control study carried out to identify risk factors for smoke-related morbidity. ⋯ Study results point to the importance of the following safety systems during high-rise building fires: smoke-control systems with separate emergency power sources; lift-cars, lift-car position-monitoring systems, and lift-car communication systems with separate emergency power sources; two-way emergency communication systems on all floors and in stairwells; stairwells with emergency lighting and designed for the rapid egress of crowds; evacuation systems/equipment to assist in the evacuation of vulnerable people (elderly, infirm). Also important are evacuation plans that include regularly scheduled safety training and evacuation drills.