An Account of Co-ordination Mechanisms for Humanitarian Assistance During the International Response to the 1994 Crisis in Rwanda

This paper examines the co-ordination strategies developed to respond to the Great Lakes crisis following the events of April 1994. It analyses the different functions and mechanisms which sought to achieve a co-ordinated response – ranging from facilitation at one extreme to management and direction at the other. The different regimes developed to facilitate co-ordination within Rwanda and neighbouring countries, focusing on both inter-agency and inter-country co-ordination issues, are then analysed. Finally, the paper highlights the absence of mechanisms to achieve coherence between the humanitarian, political and security domains. It concludes that effective co-ordination is critical not only to achieve programme efficiency, but to ensure that the appropriate instruments and strategies to respond to complex political emergencies are in place. It proposes a radical re-shaping of international humanitarian, political and security institutions, particularly the United Nations, to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian and political responses to crises such as that in the Great Lakes.     

Early Warning and Response: Why the International Community Failed to Prevent the Genocide

Western leadership … has proclaimed moral indifference to be its decent Christian right John le Carré (1995, p. 213).
The enormity of the genocide in Rwanda demands that it be subjected to searching enquiry and that members of the international community, collectively and individually, examine their own roles in the event.
This paper draws extensively on Study II of the Joint Evaluation, and examines the effectiveness of international monitoring (early warning) and management of the Rwanda conflict. It is not intended to explore all the factors which together contributed to the genocide that were or might have been amenable to modification by the international community. The focus is on warning and response beginning with the start of the civil war in 1990, and culminating in an analysis of the international response to the genocide in April–June 1994.     

城市应急要重视联合调度指挥

2004年7月10日,下午至傍晚．北京市城区下了一场20多年罕见的暴雨。从16时左右,到20时,平均降雨50mm,21时,城区平均降雨量达73mm,造成城区部分地区严重积水,部分道路积水,东城、西城、崇文、宣武四个内城区道路积水严重。     

The Symphony of the Damned: Racial Discourse, Complex Political Emergencies and Humanitarian Aid

This paper concerns the manner in which the West is responding to protracted political crises beyond its borders. It examines the conceptual world-view that aid agencies bring to complex emergencies and which shapes action. The paper provides an analysis of developmentalism. That is, the currently dominant idea of development which is an adapted form of multiculturalism. It is based on the empowerment of cultural differences and the relativisation of progress. As a variant of multiculturalism, developmentalism is part of Western racial discourse. In terms of understanding conflict, it establishes a mirror-image relationship with new rascist ideas premised on cultural pluralism inevitably leading to social breakdown, violence and anarchy. To the contrary, with its functional view of social harmony, libertine developmentalism claims that even unresolved political crisis constitutes a development opportunity.
Developmentalism, like culturalism generally, is incapable of analysing power. It therefore cannot understand the effects and significance of its own organisational forms. Moreover, since the absence of power translates into operational neutrality in a war zone, it is also unable to analyse the nature of new political formations emerging in the global periphery. That is, the so-called weak or failed states, warlords and so on. This functional ignorance has allowed a widespread incorporation of humanitarian aid into the fabric of political violence. Developmentalism is an essential underpinning for the growing organisational accommodation to ongoing conflict and eroding standards of justice and accountability.     

Northern Sudan in 1991: Food Crisis and the International Relief Response

By the end of 1991, less than half the amount of relief food requested for North Sudan at the beginning of the year had been delivered. Despite ample evidence of social and economic stress and high rates of child malnutrition, many donors felt that relief needs had been exaggerated, and were unwilling to accept that relief assistance was urgently needed. The feeble response of the main food aid donors is explained initially by the politics of relief in 1990/91, which seriously delayed the launch of the relief operation. These problems were compounded by an oversimplified understanding of famine among some sections of the relief community, and by the orientation of the international relief system to crisis indicators. Toward the end of 1991, donors argued that despite the shortfall in relief assistance there had been no deaths from starvation, and therefore local people had 'coped' better than expected. This paper challenges that view by arguing that excess deaths did occur, but went unnoticed and unremarked. Local people's 'coping strategies', which supposedly 'saved the day', actually had very negative and sometimes fatal consequences.     

Humanitarian aid and local responses: the aftermath of the rebuilding effort on Tongoa island,Vanuatu

Cyclone Pam swept through the archipelago of Vanuatu on 13–14 March 2015, with wind speeds exceeding those recorded anywhere in the South Pacific since the 1980s. Southern and central parts of the country were particularly affected. Material damage on Tongoa, one of the most afflicted islands, was extensive, but no deaths were reported. During the storm, villagers found shelter in their kitchen, in what is considered locally as a ‘lifeboat’. The aftermath was managed and mitigated by international aid organisations. On Tongoa, this included a ‘Shelter Cluster’ programme, under which villagers were given house rebuilding kits. Elaborating upon extensive ethnographic investigations on site between 2011 and 2018, this paper explores and reveals the ways in which this aid generated confusion among the local population. In a larger context of regular disasters triggered by natural hazards, locals have found endogenous ways of dealing with such extreme climatic events, for the most part without any external assistance.     

Crisis Management to Controlled Recovery: The Emergency Planning Response to the Bombing of Manchester City Centre

Fuelled by terrorist attacks on urban areas, emergency planning responses to manmade disasters is a growing area of critical debate within the field of urban management. The response of a major British city--Manchester--to the 1996 bombing of its commercial core, is examined in this paper. It focuses on the transformation of the emergency planning response from dealing with the immediate crisis during the first week, to a stage of controlled recovery that still continues. The response to the devastation caused by the bomb was co-ordinated by the city council, which developed a range of short- and long-term initiatives, but the re-opening of the city centre could not have happened so quickly had the council not worked in collaboration with other key organisations and agencies. Working partnerships were crucial to the immediate response and subsequent recovery, with such capacity for organisational learning built upon existing co-operative arrangements within the city, which had developed over the previous decade.     

Apples, Pears and Porridge: The Origins and Impact of the Search for 'Coherence' between Humanitarian and Political Responses to Chronic Political Emergencies

During the 1990s a consensus emerged within the international humanitarian system that there was a need to enhance the 'coherence' between humanitarian and political responses to complex political emergencies. Closer integration between aid and political responses was seen to be necessary in order to address the root causes of conflict-induced crises, and to ensure that aid did not exacerbate political tensions. This paper explores the theory and practice of coherence over the past decade. It argues that, by sleight of hand, the coherence agenda has been reinterpreted such that humanitarian action has become the primary form of political action, rather than merely a substitute for it. The coherence agenda has been driven by geopolitical events, domestic policy considerations in donor countries and the more parochial concerns of aid policy, and is reflected in a number of substantive changes in the humanitarian architecture. Many of the tenets of this 'new humanitarianism' have been embraced by the majority of relief agencies, and thus legitimised it. The paper concludes that political humanitarianism, as opposed to active engagement by political and military actors, is flawed ethically and technically. It will provide neither an effective palliative for the ill effects of war, nor address its causes.     

基于信息量⁃Scoops3D联合模型的地质灾害易发性评价∗

贵渝管道沿线地势险峻、构造活跃、雨量集中,崩滑流等地质灾害十分发育,科学开展管道沿线地质灾害的易发性评估工作对确保其安全运行至关重要。本研究在查明管道沿线自然地质环境及地质灾害分布的基础上,结合管道沿线地形地质特征、管道展布与斜坡体的相互空间位置关系划分了 101 段适合管道工程特点的评价单元,基于信息量数理统计模型与 Scoops3D 物理力学模型对管道沿线地质灾害的易发性进行了评价。评价结果表明管道沿线地质灾害的高易发区主要集中在遵义及桐梓县附近,其中 7 段处于极高易发区,26 段处于高易发区,20 段处于中易发区,30 段处于低易发区,18 段处于极低易发区。通过 ROC 曲线分别求得信息量、Scoops3D 以及二者联合模型的 AUC 值分别为 0.796、0.683 和 0.803,结果表明信息量-Scoops3D 联合模型的评价准确性最高。     

Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages

Natural and man-made emergencies are regular occurrences in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The underlying impoverishment of whole populations is increasing, making it more difficult to distinguish between humanitarian crises triggered by shocks and those resulting from chronic poverty. Shocks and hazards can no longer be seen as one-off events that trigger a one-time response. In countries that are both poor and exposed to frequent episodes of debilitating drought or chronic conflict, information needs tend to be different from the straightforward early warning/commodity accounting models of information systems that have proven reliable in past emergencies. This paper describes the interdependent components of a humanitarian information system appropriate for this kind of complex environment, noting the analytical links between the components and operational links to programme and policy. By examining a series of case studies from the Greater Horn region, the paper demonstrates that systems lacking one or more of these components will fail to provide adequate information--and thus incur humanitarian costs. While information always comes with a cost, the price of poor information--or none--is higher. And in situations of chronic vulnerability, in which development interventions are likely to be interspersed with both safety nets and emergency interventions on a recurrent basis, investment in improved information is a good investment from both a humanitarian and a financial viewpoint.     

日美地震灾害紧急对应对中国灾害应急体制建立的启示

通过对美国1994年洛杉矶北岭地震反1995年日本阪神大地震时日美政府的地震灾害紧急应对过程,尤其是地震后的24小时内政府的初期对应,分析了日美地震灾害应急体制的特征,并就如何建立和完善中国灾害应急体系做了探讨。日美政府之所以在大地震发生时能有效地进行了紧急应对,在于健全的灾害应急体制。中国正处于经济和社会高度发展时期,面对各种各样的灾害和事故,要真正将灾害的损失降低到最低程度,必须尽快建立和健全以灾害应急规划体系、防灾情报系统、应急救灾指挥系统和专业化灾害援助队伍体系等为主的灾害应急管理体制。     

基于卸加载响应比的滑坡稳定状态评价与划分

为有效评价与预测滑坡的稳定状态,提出基于卸加载响应比参数的滑坡稳定状态划分的新方法.在阐述卸加载响应比理论内涵的基础上,从损伤力学角度探讨并建立了卸加载响应比与损伤变量的相互关系,并进一步通过分析滑坡稳定安全系数与损伤变量之间的相互关系,建立了卸加载响应比与滑坡稳定安全系数的定量关系.参照相关规范和标准,以卸加载响应比值划分了滑坡稳定状态区间.并以新滩滑坡为例,计算所得卸加载响应比所对应的滑坡稳定状态与实际情况相吻合.说明可以用卸加载响应比参数对滑坡稳定状态进行评价,它与滑坡稳定安全系数一样具有理论和实际应用价值.     

Secretary-General to International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction:Despite Dedicated Efforts,Number and Cost of Natural Disasters Continue to Rise

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某公路边坡锚杆支护系统的安全评价

对某公路节理岩质边坡的安全稳定性进行分析,并提出支护措施。通过FLAC3D建立计算模型,采用强度折减法计算安全系数,得到边坡在未支护情况下的安全系数为0.67,处于不稳定状态。采用全长注浆锚杆进行支护。建立正交试验,以安全系数和工程造价为目标,以锚杆的长度和倾角为因素,得到6 m,2 m,20°的参数优化方案。计算表明,边坡支护后安全系数为1.29,处于稳定状态。同时,得到边坡在开挖扰动和锚杆支护情况下,各个部位的静态位移和动态位移响应,表明:锚杆支护有效地限制了位移的发展,有利于边坡稳定。     

The Response of the South Manchester Accident Rescue Team (SMART) to the Armenian Earthquake and Lockerbie Air Disaster: A Report to the Prime Minister's Office

The delay in receiving authorisation for the despatch of SMART significantly reduced our overall effectiveness. The majority of injured survivors were extracted during this time and our special expertise could have saved a significant number of lives. The episode has provided SMART with unique experience for a British medical team and this knowledge should not be wasted. In contrast to other major western countries the British response was fragmented. We have no central stockpile of equipment and no official response team. The British who responded were independent of each other even when from the same service. The quality of the individual British teams was as good as any and often better. However, the ability of other nations to coordinate their response centrally and draw from a pool of workers already used to working together, improved both their efficiency and effectiveness. There are great difficulties in communication during any disaster and these increase with the scale of the disaster. Incoming rescue workers were given false or misleading information and rumour was widespread. Even when few people were found alive rescue workers expressed a strong need for a medical presence in case they discovered an injured person or they them selves became ill or injured. We were told repeatedly by experienced rescuers that we were the first team of British senior doctors they had met at the front line of a disaster and they were extremely pleased to see us. Transport was a major problem both in terms of vehicles and local knowledge. It was not thought to be within the remit of a medical team to make provision for food and shelter and this was confirmed in Moscow prior to departure for Yerevan. In retrospect this was a mistake and reduced the time we could stay at the front line. If we had not equipped ourselves with special clothing we could not have gone to the front line. A medical team must be part of larger team of rescue workers. Within this unit there will be provision for food, shelter, transport and communication as well as medical and surgical equipment.     

Report: Combustion Byproducts and Their Health Effects: Summary of the 10th International Congress

The 10th International Congress on Combustion Byproducts and their Health Effects was held in Ischia, Italy, from June 17-20, 2007. It is sponsored by the US NIEHS, NSF, Coalition for Responsible Waste Incineration (CRWI), and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The congress focused on: the origin, characterization, and health impacts of combustion-generated fine and ultrafine particles; emissions of mercury and dioxins, and the development/application of novel analytical/diagnostic tools. The consensus of the discussion was that particle-associated organics, metals, and persistent free radicals (PFRs) produced by combustion sources are the likely source of the observed health impacts of airborne PM rather than simple physical irritation of the particles. Ultrafine particle-induced oxidative stress is a likely progenitor of the observed health impacts, but important biological and chemical details and possible catalytic cycles remain unresolved. Other key conclusions were: (1) In urban settings, 70% of airborne fine particles are a result of combustion emissions and 50% are due to primary emissions from combustion sources, (2) In addition to soot, combustion produces one, possibly two, classes of nanoparticles with mean diameters of?~10?nm and?~1?nm. (3) The most common metrics used to describe particle toxicity, viz. surface area, sulfate concentration, total carbon, and organic carbon, cannot fully explain observed health impacts, (4) Metals contained in combustion-generated ultrafine and fine particles mediate formation of toxic air pollutants such as PCDD/F and PFRs. (5) The combination of metal-containing nanoparticles, organic carbon compounds, and PFRs can lead to a cycle generating oxidative stress in exposed organisms.