Types Of Humanitarian Projects Offered During Disaster Or Conflict
Third World poverty is among the most pressing issues of our time, condemning millions of people to hardship and distress. Such poverty has led many developed countries to provide regular humanitarian aid to Third World nations.
Economic and political conflict impacts the lives of citizens; whether directly and indirectly. In the immediate region of the conflict, the primary goal for humanitarian aid is to prevent more casualties and ensure accessibility to basic amenities. This assistance will help those who have been displaced, stop the spread of diseases, support and prepare people for rehabilitation into normal life.
Objectives of Humanitarian Aid
Apart from regular development, rebuilding a nation's infrastructure, institutions, and its government is often the integral part of humanitarian support in third world nations. This support ensures the state can develop, instead of slipping into the adverse effects of the conflict or natural disaster. The essential objectives include:
• Reconstruction of property and infrastructure.
• Transition to normal life.
• Provision of governance services.
• Economic development and a stable macroeconomic environment.
• The local capacity building once the humanitarian aid is exhausted or the undertaking expires, the state must operate independently of support.
Types of Humanitarian Aid & Infrastructure
Some of the factors that lead to underdevelopment include political, economic, extreme poverty, societal inequalities, poor government services, economic stagnation, and high unemployment rate. States with one or more of these variables mentioned above may need humanitarian aid. The support will try to reduce inequalities between groups, and supply the needed nourishment, medication, etc. needed for day to day living. Below are some of the notable humanitarian infrastructures for countries in need of support:
Water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructures
Annually, 30 million people flee their homes as a result of conflict or natural disaster, while over 200 million are affected by natural hazards. Quite frequently these people lack access to water, sanitation, and hygiene during the crisis. Due to climate change and urbanization, the number of individuals without access to safe water is anticipated to almost double by 2025.
Lack of accessibility to clean water, basic sanitation and low hygiene standards raise people's exposure to epidemic outbreaks. Reports show that1.8 to 2.2 million people die every year of diarrhea (90% of whom are children under five). Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene are, therefore, the most important humanitarian infrastructure needed.
Food Aid
Despite some encouraging improvement recently recorded, around one out of nine people are starving (UN's The State of Food Insecurity On Earth report 2015). Slow economic growth, political uncertainty and the frequency and intensity of natural and man-made disasters have made food inaccessible to people in third world countries.
Food aid can be made to people in need by different channels. For example, when access to food is limited in certain disaster areas, vulnerable individuals can get access to the food they need by way of cash or coupons.
Provision of Shelter
Providing shelter is an essential survival plan in times of disaster or displacement. Also, it is vital to restoring personal security, self-sufficiency, and dignity. In humanitarian crises, many of those impacted are compelled to flee their homes.
Providing shelter is a critical part of the humanitarian response and infrastructure rebuilding. The most pressing reason is to save the lives of those who are most at risk. Beyond survival, providing shelter also ensures the privacy and dignity of those impacted and improves personal safety and protection.
Healthcare Assistance
Each year, over 300 million people find themselves in need of humanitarian health assistance due to natural disasters and conflicts.
The most common causes of death and disorder during emergencies are acute respiratory diseases, diarrhea, maternal and neonatal conditions, malaria, tuberculosis, and under-nourishment. The inaccessibility to curative and health care is one of the most significant risk factors.
The job role of health support volunteers is becoming increasingly more essential to humanitarian operations. This is because national health systems are usually in dire straits during a calamity. For instance, the displacement of individuals with chronic diseases and the health hazards related to overflowing refugee dwellings are the types of challenges that demand new strategies and tactics.
Job creation
Providing jobs is usually a secondary goal when providing humanitarian support. It's of less importance than security, humanitarian aid and restoring the rule of law. Even though security is an essential part of any humanitarian project or initiative, job creation is also vital for the sustainability of these infrastructures.
Gender and age specific aid (children, elderly, and women)
Natural disasters and man-made catastrophes have a greater impact on women, boys, girls and the elderly. This group makes up the bulk of those affected by disasters. While support frequently focuses on them, humanitarian aid actions are at times designed without considering their particular needs.
Humanitarian aid is provided, which takes sex and age into account when responding to the various needs of different groups. This type of aid can be to save children who are being abused; it can be to provide medical assistance to underage pregnant girls and so much more.
There are four primary actors in humanitarian aid and development support they include:
• International and Regional Organizations or Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)): The most significant performer in the supply of humanitarian aid and development support is the United Nations (U.N.) and its various bureaus, financed by member states. The World Bank and other development organizations also fall into this group.
• Development agencies: In addition to multilateral support, many states also direct support unilaterally through their foreign aid and development agencies. Along with a sense of moral obligation, support can be part of countries foreign policy.
• Non-Governmental Organizations: NGOs play a vital role in providing humanitarian aid and infrastructural development. This is achieved directly and via association to other international organizations. They frequently have an advantage over foreign authorities.
• The Military: The military acts mainly to ensure a safe environment in which relief agencies can manage. In some situation, the military may additionally provide assistance. This typically happens when the relief organizations are overstretched or unable to take care of security issues. The military can be used to handle and organize the general humanitarian response and to cope with technical and physical demands.
Coordination and successful direction of the humanitarian relief effort are incredibly important to minimize duplication and contradictory tasks, as well as to optimize the exchange and flow of information in an incredibly challenging and stressful working environment.