title: Emerging issues and future needs in humanitarian assistance.
abstract: During the past two decades, there has been tremendous investment in the ability to intervene in disaster settings, and significant barriers remain to providing appropriate services to populations affected by natural and man-made calamities. Many of the barriers to providing effective assistance exist within the NGO community, and illustrate emerging needs for international agencies. These emerging needs include improving methods of recipient participation to promote the local health system, developing improved methods for quality assurance, enhancing options for personnel development, and addressing long-term needs of reconstruction and rehabilitation. Relief agencies face challenges on all levels to develop sound practices in providing humanitarian assistance that can lead to long-term benefits to populations affected by disaster.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies, 1830 E. Monument Street, Suite 6-100, Baltimore, MD 21305, USA. mvanrooy@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: VanRooyen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hansch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnham
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration; D014944:World Health Organization