Humanitarian Assistance 3: From Mitigation to Prevention and Rehabilitation: The Changing Scope of Humanitarian Action

Summary: Humanitarians are continually charged with the reevaluation of their work based on the evolution of conflicts and disasters. No longer satisfied with simply providing relief in times of crisis, the frontier of humanitarian action has expanded to include not only life-saving assistance but also prevention and rehabilitation activities. However, this change in scope calls into question the classical distinction between relief and development programs, the core principles of humanitarianism, and how professionals conduct operations in the field. The discussion was moderated by Claude Bruderlein (Director, HPCR) and Christina Blunt (ATHA Coordinator, HPCR). Panelists included: Samir Elhawary, Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute, and Sajedul Hasan, Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Bangkok and Chief of Party for PEER, ADPC, Bangkok.