Before the UN
What is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)?
Founded in 1864, this private Swiss organization is the first major humanitarian institution.
What is Biafra?
In this 1967–1970 Nigerian civil war, UN agencies were notably absent while the Red Cross and NGOs got the attention.
UNDRO
United Nations Disaster Relief Organization
What is the WHO
World Health Organization, Under the 2005 cluster approach, this agency leads health.
What are the Geneva Conventions?
These international treaties, promoted by the Red Cross, set rules to protect wounded combatants, prisoners of war and civilians.
What is East Pakistan?
In 1971, UNHCR was made the “focal point” for UN assistance in this crisis, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.
OCHA
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
What are UNICEF and WFP?
WFP (World Food Programme), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
Who is Fridtjof Nansen?
In 1921, the League of Nations appointed this Norwegian as High Commissioner for Russian Refugees.
When was the Gulf crisis (Iraq/Kuwait)?
In this 1991 crisis, UNHCR was named “lead agency” and was not prepared for the job.
IASC
Inter-Agency Standing Committee in humanitarian affairs
Who are internally displaced persons (IDPs)?
An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who has been forced to flee their home or place of habitual residence—due to armed conflict, generalized violence, human rights violations, or natural/human-made disasters—but has not crossed an internationally recognized state border
What is the International Relief Union (IRU)?
This post-WWI attempt to coordinate assistance to people “afflicted by sudden calamity” ultimately failed.
What is Darfur?
This Sudanese crisis, with up to 2 million displaced, exposed the failures of the Collaborative Approach.
CERF
United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund
What is the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC)?
the most senior United Nations official dedicated to humanitarian affairs. Officially titled the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, the role is held by Thomas Fletcher since October 2024
What is Article 25?
This article of the League’s Covenant left humanitarian relief to national governments and Red Cross societies.
When was the Asian (Indian Ocean) tsunami?
Along with Darfur, this December 2004 natural disaster pushed OCHA to launch the Humanitarian Response Review.
OEOA
Office for Emergency Operations in Africa
What is An Agenda for Peace?
In this 1992 report, Boutros-Ghali declared that “the time of absolute and exclusive sovereignty has passed.” The An Agenda for Peace report written by UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to outline strategies for preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution, and post-conflict reconstruction