Subject Area: Development Studies

You might not be able to change the world, but you can learn how diminish the negative impact of natural disasters and conflict-induced emergencies. From earthquakes to storms and refugee crises, development actors around the world are working to respond to humanitarian emergence as effectively as possible in order to assist vulnerable populations to find solutions to the emergency situations they find themselves in. As humanitarian emergencies are escalating in number and intensity, there is a necessity to understand the complex environment humanitarian actors have to manoeuvre in and how to develop effective response strategies. In this course you will be introduced to the complex nature of natural disasters and conflict-induced emergencies, the basic requirements and strategies for effective humanitarian response, and the actors that work in these settings and the diverse set of tools at their disposal. You will be exposed to context-sensitive approaches and the ethnics of humanitarian practice. In this course, you will have the opportunity to analyse and develop a simulated humanitarian emergency and contribute individually and in teams to find the best solution. This will allow you to actively practice skills that you will need to succeed when working in humanitarian emergencies.