A Primer on War and Peace
Humanitarian relief is the provision of life-saving assistance to those in need, including victims of both conflicts and natural disasters. The scope of need is staggering – according to the United Nations, there are 11.6 million refugees worldwide, in addition to 26 million people displaced within their own countries. These figures don't include millions more across the globe that haven't fled their homes, yet still desperately need assistance in order to survive. Humanitarian assistance encompasses everything from providing food to shelter, as well as other basic services such as health and water and sanitation.
Background Posts on War and Peace
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Definition of humanitarian relief, and how it differs from development and early recovery
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Suggestions and advice about how to find a humanitarian position overseas
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Remember back when John McCain let it slip that he didn’t know the difference between Sunni and Shia? While liberal elites snickered out loud, most folks shrugged: they don’t know either. Get the skinny here.
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Reasons why attacks against aid workers are increasing, including up-to-date statistics
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How exactly do we define the boundaries Israel and Palestine? Israel has never clearly defined its political borders. Why is this issue still relevant?
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Sometimes numbers do tell the story. How many have died? How many attacks carried out? How many homes demolished?
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Recent trends in humanitarian funding, including: the largest donors, countries which receive the most aid, and what sectors are best funded
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Glossary of key humanitarian terms and acronyms
What Is Humanitarian Relief
Statistics on Humanitarian Relief
Finding a Job Overseas
Sunni vs. Shia
Attacks Against Aid Workers
Trends in Humanitarian Funding
Writers
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Daniel J Gerstle
- New York, NY
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Daniel J Gerstle is a creative long form crisis journalist, human rights researcher, and humanitarian aid consultant who's covered Bosnia, Croatia, Karabakh, Chechnya, Ingushetia, the Ossetias, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia very deeply, spiced with highlights of Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, Tajikistan, and Georgia. Prior to all this, he served as a US Marine reservist stateside.
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Una Vera
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Una Vera is an international development professional living in the northeast United States. Her blogging at Change.org focuses on the intersection of human security, governance, and armed conflict --primarily in Europe and Central Asia. You can follow Una on Twitter @Transitionland.
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Michael Bear
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Michael has worked for NGOs in Afghanistan, across east and central Africa, and Iraq. Prior to going overseas, he worked on a project providing assistance to the United Nations on the application of International Humanitarian Law to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
