International Disasters and Humanitarian Law

International Disasters and Humanitarian Law

Great infrastructure damage and social dislocation have been common consequence of natural disasters and social disasters for example wars. The aims of relief and post-disaster reconstruction comprises of:

Instant physical relief of victims

Reduction of social dislocation

Restoration of a function of social organization and reparation of physical infrastructure

The major disaster or wars international actors are United Nations agencies and Red Cross Movement.

International policies and laws have played a greater impact in helping shift disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction in that, whenever there is major disaster there is immediate establishment of a rescue and recovery command center under the body of the United Nations, Red Cross and affected governments; this aid in supervision of relief efforts participating foreign military such as U.S. forces being part of it. For example for the case where there was establishment of U.S. dominated command centre set at airbase in Utapoa, Thailand at the post-Tsunami relief operation need not to be repeated.

Discouragement of direct military to military entanglements, unless for operational purposes. It has aided in the clearance and approval of key decisions for relief activities by local civilian authorities within a country, it also aid in enhancement of interaction of foreign military units participating in a relief effort into operations led and managed by the affected governments, and civilization disaster agencies has been realized.

Management of medium-term and long-term relief and recovery aid managed by consortium led by UN agencies, with the role and programs of the World Bank set by the UN groups. The inclusion of affected government, international NGO's in this aid consortium. Disaster observation of neutrality when it comes to dealing with target groups and political groupings within the country (Paul, 2006).

The World Bank and International committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in international relief and reconstruction efforts is that they aid in provision of humanitarian aid, and curbing disasters that arise.

The World Bank aid in channeling more and more of its support to private entities like NGO's for example in Thailand, the World Bank plans to partner with such NGO's as the Population and community Development Association, World Vision and the local development institute so as to provide assistance in a number of provinces.

The World Bank plays a role in training the big international organization so as to be able to conduct community mapping and community driven adjudications.

International committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) like World Bank provides relief either through financial contributions to the government of affected country or aid organization or direct provision of relief supplies and emergency personnel. Red Cross actively side with those parts of population seen as oppressed against those seen as oppressors. Political considerations plays a role in the way assistance is given and those supposed to be given to. Humanitarian assistance is carries some weight as an instrument of 'neutral' that is intervention in crisis at it is mostly flexible policy tool that can be brought to in ease to deal with crisis (Jonathan, 2009).