Framing impact, shaping response: Linking affectedness and action in humanitarian practice

The recent International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) World Disasters Report 2020 and the Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), including the Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere of 2019, point to an increasing risk of disasters and adverse effects of climate change, which are worsened by the interface between disasters and climate change. Work by humanitarian organizations in the field and by scientific experts is showing that the effects of this intersection, which makes the impact of climate change and disasters even more dramatic, are here and that measures have to be taken to protect persons affected in this context.

Attaher Zacka Maïga was born on 10 May 1963 in Bia, Bourem Cercle, Gao Region, Mali. He has spent his life in the service of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, joining the Mali Red Cross as a volunteer in 1987 before working for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as a nutritionist in a pilot centre for nutritional recovery and education in Bourem from January 1988 to June 1990. In 1990 and 1991 he acted as consultant to a number of organizations, including World Vision and UNICEF.In April 1992, Attaher Maïga joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a “resident” (i.e. local) employee. Since then, he has held many positions. From 1996 to 2000, he was in charge of the Gao office, which employed almost 100 staff, both resident and “mobile” (expatriate). He then took charge of the ICRC's programmes in northern Mali from 2001 to 2006, ran the organization's office in the Malian capital Bamako from 2007 to 2008 and was responsible for the Mali communication programme between 2009 and 2011. From November 2011 to November 2014, he was head of the ICRC's northern Mali sub-delegation, one of the first resident employees to lead an ICRC sub-delegation. Since 2015, Attaher Maïga has been Networking Coordinator for the ICRC's Mali delegation.In 1996, Mr Maïga initiated the ICRC's post-conflict programmes in his country, covering the fields of agriculture, veterinary services and health. In 2009, he launched a pilot migrant project in Kidal, northern Mali. These much-appreciated initiatives resulted in his being invited to participate in the 2010 Montreuil meeting, which laid the foundations for the reforms currently underway.Attaher was the first Mali focal point for the ICRC's Unit for Global Affairs. This role gave him a deeper understanding of trends in the Islamic world and enabled him to help the ICRC adjust its dialogue with Jihadist armed groups. Our interview with Mr Maïga highlights his extensive experience with one of the oldest humanitarian organizations and is an opportunity for him to share his understanding of the ICRC's interaction with the armed groups that controlled northern Mali in 2012, when he was representing the ICRC in the region.Attaher Maïga holds a degree in public administration from the Institut de Gestion et des Langues Appliquées aux Métiers, Bamako.

To understand how war is perceived and how it has evolved over time, we must first choose the right agent to study: one that is at once involved in the bellicosity, and yet keeps its distance. Such an agent will be better placed to maintain an objective and rational view of developments. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would seem to fit the bill. As a humanitarian organization that has been working with the victims of armed conflict for more than 153 years, the ICRC has plenty of experience of war, yet it preserves its ability to interpret critically in its capacity as non-belligerent. It is therefore in a position to grasp the evolution of mankind's oldest activity over one and a half centuries – a period during which warfare has undergone incredible and deadly transformations in conjunction with technological breakthroughs and the rise of extremist political ideologies. On top of this, the ICRC was itself, in its early days, made up of people who had experienced war in one way or another. Of the five members who decided to found the organization in February 1863, three had personally experienced armed violence to varying degrees. This fact also made the nascent organization uniquely entitled to voice its views on a subject of which it had empirical experience.

Public Health Nursing Miriam Ames CopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.19.5.571 Published Online: August 29, 2011

In this Q&A, the Review talks to Delphine van Solinge and Massimo Marelli of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Van Solinge is the ICRC's focal point for understanding how digital technologies and the spread of harmful information affect populations living in conflict environments, and what this means for humanitarian action. To this end, her portfolio is focused on exploring, on behalf of the ICRC and through partnerships, how to mitigate the risks that digital technologies bring in humanitarian settings and ensure relevant protection responses in the digital age. Marelli is Head of the ICRC's Data Protection Office (DPO). During his tenure with the ICRC, the organization has chartered new pathways for how it can carry out its operational work, while ensuring that the data of the affected people which it serves, as well those of its employees, are well protected.During this conversation, van Solinge and Marelli discuss how their areas of work complement and reinforce each other, forming two halves of the same coin with regard to how digital information and data can both be used for positive change and misused in humanitarian settings. Marelli highlights how humanitarian organizations process, protect and use data and digital information. Van Solinge discusses how through misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, information can be manipulated and spread using digital technologies – particularly in the age of the COVID-19, when populations are more reliant on digital communication technologies. Among the issues they discuss are how digital technologies can be used positively, the ethical considerations that humanitarian organizations should take into account, and the possible paths forward for public–private sector collaborations on this theme.

Bridging the gap between research and practice has been a recognized problem in many fields, and has been especially noticeable in the field of disaster relief. As the number and impact of disasters have increased, there has been a jump in interest from the research community in an attempt to provide tools and solutions for some of the challenges in the field. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Code of Conduct (CoC) for Disaster Operations provides a qualitative set of guidelines that is an excellent building block for operational theory, but is insufficiently rigorous in guiding quantitative decision making. In this paper, we review the CoC, exploring each of the ten core principles and identifying three significant operational trade-offs. We then propose a model framework that can be implemented as a stand-alone model, or can be used as a foundation for other quantitative aid allocation models. Finally, we provide an example of how the proposed model could be used to guide decision making in a Microsoft Excel\(^{{\textregistered }}\) environment using CoinOR’s OpenSolver\(^{\textregistered }\). New insights in the field of aid disbursement are provided by examining the challenges of financial management and investment as dictated by the CoC. This paper fills a unique gap in the literature by addressing the issue of financial allocation as guided by a qualitative standard used by the disaster relief community, and serves as a complement to the work in the field of humanitarian logistics.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been using satellite imagery for more than 10 years now; initially for hydrogeological analysis in arid and semi-arid areas, as well as for vegetation follow-up in agricultural projects (irrigation, seeds distributions, etc.). Today, the humanitarian organization most frequently uses very high-resolution imagery for urban water projects, where the necessity to identify population densities, water resources, water supply needs, and pipeline routes is relevant. A growing field of interest is the use of imagery to analyze hostilities during conflict situations. Data and imagery is hosted on our servers enabling our field staff to access them from any of our field offices through web clients from ICRC’s intranet. This approach allows the sharing of simple PDF-maps, but also web-maps, web-applications, or entire dashboards within the ICRC, depending on the needs.

The role of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Syria since the conflict between the government and the rebels who disagree with the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, the conflict that caused more hundred thousands victims lost their lives, and millions of people in Syria became refugees and IDPs (Internal Displaces Person). Prolonged conflict caught the attention of the international community to demonstrate the ICRC’s commitment in providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people who affected. Furthermore, it is expected to encourage the ICRC to carry out its duties and responsibilities as a humanitarian organization in Syria and instrumental help Syria overcome the problems of humanity. The ICRC as a humanitarian NGO engaged primarily in armed conflict are not able tomove freely and engage in armed conflict everywhere to make humanitarian intervention. Although ICRC’s activities have already got legal mandate and strong right in international law, this undeniable that they are struggling to face he barriers in performing their duties, especially in Syria.

ARC American Red Cross ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies JRCS Japanese Red Cross Society LRCS League of Red Cross Societies US United States WWI World War I

The League of Red Cross Societies is the international federation of the 130 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which together have a membership of more than 230,000,000. The League is one of the three components of the International Red Cross, the others being the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies. The ICRC acts as a neutral intermediary in humanitarian matters during international conflicts, civil wars and internal disturbances, providing protection and assistance to victims, prisoners of war and civilian detainees. The League objective is to facilitate, encourage and promote the humanitarian activities of its member societies and thus contribute to the promotion of peace in the world.

When the Canadian Red Cross (CRCS) was created in 1896 as the first colonial branch of the British Red Cross, it held closely to the Red Cross Movement’s founding vision of inactivity in peacetime. While other national Red Cross societies expanded beyond the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, the CRCS did not – and, as a result, failed to thrive. This chapter will examine the role of the First World War in transforming the CRCS into a nationwide patriotic and humanitarian cause, its wartime work fuelled by British imperialism and an emerging sense of English-Canadian nationalism born of the war. The CRCS’s evolution between 1914 and 1919 therefore offers a useful case study of how intersecting national, imperial and transnational forces shaped the evolution of one humanitarian organisation.

Mass gatherings (MGs) present a significant risk for crush disasters, where the resulting crush injuries can lead to the lethal Crush Syndrome (CS). Standard trauma triage systems are ill-equipped to identify patients at risk for CS, who may appear stable initially but succumb to systemic complications like hyperkalemic cardiac arrest and acute kidney injury post-extrication. This review examines the evidence-based triage framework developed by the Red Crescent to address this critical gap in prehospital emergency care. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, analyzing peer-reviewed publications, disaster medicine reports, and official guidelines from humanitarian organizations. The development, structure, and application of the Red Crescent's protocol were evaluated with a focus on its pathophysiological rationale and operational practicality. The Red Crescent's framework is a product of a systematic methodology involving evidence synthesis, multi-disciplinary expert consultation, and field validation. It modifies the primary survey by integrating a "Mechanism" (M) component to identify prolonged compression. The secondary survey emphasizes rapid limb assessment for key indicators of compartment syndrome—palpable tenseness and sensory deficit—over late signs like pulselessness. Triage prioritization is directly linked to specific interventions; patients with a significant crush mechanism and signs of neurological compromise or myoglobinuria (detected via point-of-care urine dipstick) are categorized as Immediate (Red) and require aggressive, pre-emptive intravenous fluid resuscitation to prevent CS. The protocol is designed for seamless integration within the broader mass casualty incident response system, leveraging the Red Crescent's extensive volunteer network and logistical capabilities. The Red Crescent's crush injury triage framework represents a critical advancement in disaster medicine. By providing a structured, evidence-based tool for the early identification and prioritization of patients at risk for Crush Syndrome, it empowers responders to prevent predictable, delayed mortality in mass gathering settings. Its widespread adoption and integration into public event medical planning are essential for improving survival outcomes in these complex emergencies.

The American Red Cross is the largest nongovernmental organization responding to disasters in the United States. This study investigated the impact of negative life change occurring in the year following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on levels of distress among 757 Red Cross Disaster Services Human Resources (national disaster team) employees and volunteers who responded to this disaster. Negative life change in the year following disaster response fully mediated the relationship between disaster response and symptoms of depression and partially mediated the responses between disaster response and posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms. Results highlight the importance of life experiences in the year following disaster response and, therefore, the education and follow-up services provided to disaster workers prior to and following disaster assignment. Suggestions for monitoring disaster-related stress during and following assignment are provided.

Purpose: Disasters may have direct and indirect impacts on the population’s health and healthcare system. Deaths, injuries, psychological effects, and diverse diseases can be measured in varying degrees of rigor and substance. Indirect impact factors (e.g., losses to primary healthcare and living conditions, damages to healthcare systems and external infrastructures, provision of water and/or electricity) including their consequences are very often not subject of attention. The purpose of this study is to identify various impacts of different European disasters on health system performance, security and health protection with focus on psycho-social support. This study is part of the international multidisciplinary project PsyCris (PSYcho-social Support in CRISis Management) that is funded by the European Union with the overall objective to improve psycho-social support in crisis management. Methodology: Based on different impact models the authors present an analysis of impacts of five European disasters. The collection of the data was organized by a questionnaire that serves as assessment tool for each disaster. The questionnaire consists of different questions concerning the disaster and its management. In this regard existing material (e.g., reports, articles, films, photos) served as foundation in answering the questions. Additionally, interviews with people, who were involved in the management of each disaster, complemented the questionnaire. Results: The analysis of the case studies has shown that each disaster causes aftermaths in different fields. Many identified impacts are the result of a learning process because of inadequate outputs during and after the disaster. For example, because of the fact that during the avalanche in Galtur (Austria) the psychosocial support did not work, the Red Cross founded the KIT (crisis intervention team), which represents a long-term impact on the health system performance. In Lithuania we have identified health protections measures such as individual consultations in advance of a flood with the objective to inform newly settled residents to be better prepared in the case of the flood (e.g., long-term impact concerning preparedness planning). Conclusions: Different impacts of disasters on the health system performance (e.g., changes and adaptions in medical, psychological or psychiatric treatment, psycho-social support) and on security and health protection (e.g., optimisations in contingency/preparedness planning, infrastructure, training, increase in security research funding activities, information and communication measures) have been identified. The analysed communities have engaged in different types of emergency management and risk reduction interventions to minimize further disaster’s impacts. The results have shown that hazard mitigation and emergency preparedness practices can reduce direct and indirect impacts because of reflections and learning experiences.

International federation of red cross and red crescent societies was founded in 1919 (as the league of red cross societies). It works on the basis of the principles of the red cross and red crescent movement to inspire, facilitate and promote all forms of humanitarian activities by the national societies, with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering, and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of peace in the world. The general assembly is the highest authority of the federation and meets every two years in commission sessions (for development, disaster relief, health and community services, and youth) and plenary sessions. It is composed of representatives from all national societies that are members of the federation. The federation supports the establishment of emergency response units that comprise trained specialists and are deployable at short notice for up to a four-month operational period.