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The article sheds light on the refugee crisis of U.S. Army General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah in Georgia in the Civil War era and the integration of freed refugees into the Port Royal Experiment. Topics discussed include challenge of finding permanent settlements for refugees, fundraising efforts to provide relief to refugees, social dislocation of freedpeople, spread of disease and lack of food, and tensions over labor arrangements and wartime emancipation.

Facility location, supply inventory and distribution, and evacuation planning are key operational functions in a humanitarian relief network, it is critical to integrate these three functions and schedule their activities jointly in a coordinated manner. Considering uncertain demands and evacuation rates of injured people, we develop a distributionally robust model for the multi-period humanitarian relief network design with multiple types of relief supplies. To solve the problem, we reformulate the proposed model into a mixed integer linear programme, and develop an enhanced branch-and-Benders-cut algorithm that incorporates some algorithm enhancements to solve the resulting model. Extensive numerical experiments show that: (i) the distributionally robust model provides more reliable and flexible solutions that perform the best when faced uncertainty over the deterministic and stochastic models; (ii) the algorithm enhancements are very effective to enhance the performance of the proposed algorithm, which can reduce the CPU time by up to 9.75%∼41.64% on average; (iii) the integrated solution approach is more beneficial to solve the problem when comparing with a sequential solution approach; and (iv) some model parameters have significant impact on the solution structure, which can help decision maker set proper parameters to achieve the desired trade-off among the considered metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still little discussion on how community-based organizations (CBOs) may help counter violent extremism (CVE) in Nigeria. This research explores the implications of CBOs' use of external networks for CVE and the distribution of humanitarian aid in North-East Nigeria. It finds that because CBOs depend so heavily on outside funding, they are constantly exposed to the demands and whims of donors. We therefore urge the government to prioritize CBOs in CVE programmes and operations to reduce external influence and to limit the spread of violent extremism in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors review the literature on last mile delivery logistics within commercial and humanitarian supply chains from 2010 to the end of 2021. The scope of the last mile, including last mile logistics, last mile distribution, and last-mile mile delivery, is covered. A unifying terminology of the major concepts in this field and a bibliometric analysis are provided. Based on the analysis, the authors further classify and discuss the literature into three clusters: humanitarian relief, commercial logistics, and emerging technologies. Within each generated cluster, research gaps and current trends are identified. Future research directions are suggested based on this literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Russian authorities have been openly transferring children from Ukraine to Russia and Russia-occupied territories. Russian officials attempt to justify their decision to displace Ukrainian children as a "humanitarian evacuation." However, this purported motive is not reality. The current available evidence clearly exhibits that Ukrainian children are being forcibly transferred systematically at a large scale, and the actions by Russia are a part of its broader plan to "Russify" Ukraine's children into becoming pro-Russia. Russia is also permanently cementing their integration by simplifying the Russian citizenship process and making it easier for Russian families to adopt them. This mass resettlement combined with the aim of erasing and depriving Ukrainian children's link to their national identity violates Article II(e) of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This Comment will show that Russia is committing genocide--one of the greatest international crimes--and that the two required elements, the acts committed and special mental intent, are met to establish a crime of genocide is occurring against Ukraine's children. Although many questions concerning the forced transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children remain unanswered, what can be said is that Russia must be held accountable for its efforts to destroy the Ukrainian identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the start of this review, 168 million individuals required humanitarian assistance, at the conclusion of the research, the number had risen to 235 million. Humanitarian aid is critical not just for dealing with a pandemic that occurs once every century, but more for assisting amid civil conflicts, surging natural disasters, as well as other kinds of emergencies. Technology's dependability to support humanitarian and disaster operations has never been more pertinent and significant than it is right now. The ever-increasing volume of data, as well as innovations in the field of data analytics, present an incentive for the humanitarian sector. Given that the interaction between big data and humanitarian and disaster operations is crucial in the coming days, this systematic literature review offers a comprehensive overview of big data analytics in a humanitarian and disaster setting. In addition to presenting the descriptive aspects of the literature reviewed, the results explain review of existent reviews, the current state of research by disaster categories, disaster phases, disaster locations, and the big data sources used. A framework is also created to understand why researchers employ various big data sources in different crisis situations. The study, in particular, uncovered a considerable research disparity in the disaster group, disaster phase, and disaster regions, emphasising how the focus is on reactionary interventions rather than preventative approaches. These measures will merely compound the crisis, and so is the reality in many COVID-19-affected countries. Implications for practice and policy-making are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) are indirectly exposed to atrocities relating to people of concern (POC). This may result in a risk of secondary traumatization demonstrated by post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). Previous studies have demonstrated that hemispheric lateralization (HL) moderates the relationship between threat exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). Aims: We hypothesized that indirect exposure to atrocities (IETA) would be positively correlated with PTSSs among HAWs with right and not left HL. Method: Fifty-four HAWs from several countries that provided humanitarian support in Greece and Colombia participated in this correlational and cross-sectional observation study. They completed scales relating to IETA, PTSSs were assessed using a brief, valid scale, and HL was measured. Results: IETA was positively and significantly related to PTSSs (r = 0.39, p < 0.005). Considering HL, IETA was unrelated to PTSSs among people with right HL (r = 0.29, p = 0.14), while IETA was related to PTSSs among people with left HL (r = 0.52, p = 0.008). Right HL emerged as a protective factor in the relationship between IETA and PTSS. Conclusions: An assessment of dominant HL can serve as one consideration among others when deploying HAWs in specific locations and roles, vis à vis IETA. Moreover, those found to have a higher risk for PTSSs based on their HL could be monitored more closely to prevent adverse reactions to IETA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying healthcare services and also strengthening the healthcare systems to effectively deliver them in the aftermath of large-scale disasters like the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes, especially for vulnerable groups cannot be emphasized enough. This study aimed at identifying the interventions undertaken or proposed for addressing the health needs or challenges of vulnerable groups immediately after the occurrence of the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes, as well as for prioritizing their healthcare service delivery in the post-Turkey-Syria earthquake. Methods: In this scoping review compiled with the five steps of the Arksey and O'Malley framework, five databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, OVID, and Google Scholar, were searched for studies published between March and April 2023 in line with the eligibility criteria. Interventions for enhancing post-earthquake healthcare services (PEHS) were grouped into seven (7) categories, adopted from previous guidelines and studies. Each one was assigned a default score of a value equal to one (1), which, in the end, was summed up. Results: Of the 115 total records initially screened, 29 articles were eligible for review. Different interventions they reported either undertaken or proposed to address the healthcare needs and challenges, especially faced by the most vulnerable groups in the aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, were categorized into 7 PEHS. They were ranked with their scores as follows: humanitarian health relief (25); medical care (17); mental health and psychosocial support (10); health promotion, education, and awareness (9); disease surveillance and prevention (7); disability rehabilitation (7); and sexual and reproductive health (5). Conclusion: Since there are no proper guidelines or recommendations about the specific or most significant PEHS to prioritize for vulnerable groups after the occurrence of large-scale earthquakes, this scoping review provides some insights that can help inform healthcare service delivery and prioritization for vulnerable groups in the post-2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes and other similar disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU and its member states have provided an unprecedented amount of military, humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine after Russia's attack on February 24, 2022. However, while some EU member states have provided a disproportionately high level of support to Ukraine, other member states committed an unexpectedly low level of aid. This article aims to explain the diverging levels of EU member state support to Ukraine by building on theories of military burden-sharing. Methodologically, it applies the innovative fit robustness procedure of Coincidence Analysis (CNA). The results of the analysis indicate that conditions derived from theories of military burden-sharing can explain support to Ukraine. More specifically, the pattern of support was (mainly) explained by the level of threat that each member state faced from Russia, past military investments and public opinion. Conversely, in contrast to the frequently tested and confirmed exploitation hypothesis, the economic size of the member states did not have an impact on their support to Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the role of accounting in disaster mitigation and the importance of transparency to avoid corruption. During the Ukrainian war, accounting has allowed the redistribution of war material, the quantification of economic aid, or the efficient management of humanitarian aid. This paper aims to set a research agenda on transparency and corruption in foreign aid to a fragile and conflict‐affected country. In order to analyze the situation of corruption in Ukraine during the war, first a review of the latest corrupt events is carried out and its position in the Corruption Perception Indicator is analyzed. Subsequently, we analyze the aid that Ukraine has received from other countries and institutions, and whether it is transparent. The possible dependence of the Corruption Perception Indicator on the transparency index of each country in the management of aid to Ukraine is studied. This article links corruption, transparency and accounting in the context of the Ukrainian war, highlighting the important role of auditing and financial controls, and presents proposals for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humanitarian organisations are increasingly utilising biometric data. However, we know little about the extent and scope of this practice, as its benefits and risks have attracted all the attention so far. This paper explores the biometric practices of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations World Food Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and World Vision International. The study analysed relevant documents published over the past two decades and 17 semi‐structured interviews with humanitarian workers conducted between June 2021 and June 2022. The findings reveal that humanitarian organisations use diverse types and functions of biometric data for different services, collaborate with many actors, and employ various data protection measures. Ultimately, challenging the straightforward generalisations about the use of such data, the paper argues that variational applications of biometrics in the humanitarian context require case‐by‐case analysis, as each instance will likely produce a different outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aid workers offer important perspectives for understanding better the most pervasive challenges that arise when implementing emergency response programming in humanitarian settings. This large sample study provides a global review of these perspectives, derived from 4,679 applications to the National NGO Program on Humanitarian Leadership, in which aid workers were asked to respond to the following question: 'What do you consider to be the biggest challenges in the implementation of emergency response programming in today's humanitarian settings?'. Through a qualitative coding process, the research team identified 14 major challenges that were prevalent across the applicants' responses and cross‐tabulated these with their demographics. Coordination (30 per cent) and operating environment (29.5 per cent) were the most frequently reported. The study found a significant association between challenges identified and certain demographic variables. The results supplement a body of literature that is largely composed of small‐scale, context‐specific studies in which disaggre‐gation of data by demographics is not possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global health crises unfolded a novel phenomenon, COVID-19 related aid has ushered in a new chapter in the development landscape which has currently taken on the interest of scholars. This research probes Turkish humanitarian aid policy in the context of COVID-19 towards sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for the period of March 2020 to September 2022, by investigating various indicators to establish the relationship between Turkey's aid behaviour and the recipient's economic, diplomatic, political and religious standpoint. Scrutinizing sectorial breakdown, the scope of aid and country profiles of Turkey's medical aid to SSA, it unveils the volatile nature of Turkey's aid behaviour, at the time of the recent global crises, towards the region which is by its nature located on the fringe of the traditional Turkish foreign policy landscape. Based on the public diplomacy paradigm, this research questions to what extent benevolence humanitarianism was pertinent to Turkey's medical aid practices during the COVID-19 period? This research claims that humanitarian aid is a potential component of Turkish soft power paradigm, often framed within the public diplomacy context as it fosters a better image to those being represented. Consequently, it purports that Turkey's medical aid could provide new scope to foster Turkey's further engagement with Africa, at a time when Ankara already enjoys a strategic partnership in relation to the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years, many of the civil society organizations engaged in search and rescue activities in the Central Mediterranean have been targeted in different ways by public authorities. This phenomenon, widely described in terms of 'policing', has been central in the EU's and member states' migration governance. Scholars have increasingly considered various aspects of that, mostly focusing on legislation, practices and consequences of policing. This article contributes to the existing scholarship by shifting attention to the policy dimension and specifically considering the policy-making process. I focus on the Italian case, in the context of the broader EU policing dynamics, adopting an actor-centred institutionalist perspective, with a view to explaining how and why such policies emerged and evolved over time. To do so, I focus on the policy influence of the judiciary, as enabler of both expansive and repressive dynamics, in the broader context of European and national migration policy-making dynamics. Based on extensive research encompassing different governance layers, the case at hand offers interesting empirical and analytical reflections related to the policing of humanitarian assistance and on the role of the judiciary as a complex and ambivalent driver of the policy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the crucial challenge of efficient resource allocation during emergencies, aiming to minimize loss of life and property. We analyzed a case study for the 2015 floods in Tamil Nadu, India, where local emergency centers in Chennai and surrounding cities distributed relief materials. Additionally, employing a Bi-objective Solid Transportation Problem (BOSTP) model, minimizes both cost and time of delivery. Further, the traditional methods like Row Maximum, Least Cost, and Vogel's Approximation are compared to BOSTP, which shows that Column Maximum yields an optimal result based on cost and time constraints. However, introduced a novel algorithm for BOSTP using trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers(TNN) to account for inherent uncertainties in logistics, specifically shipment cost and time. Lastly, performance analysis of the BOSTP model and sensitivity analysis under various scenarios demonstrate its effectiveness in enhancing rapid humanitarian assistance during emergencies. This case study contributes to developing efficient bi-objective models for future disaster response efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the problem of the paralysis of the Arab will in facing Western policies that strongly support Israeli aggression against Gaza, even though the West has significant and fundamental interests in the Arab world. The article confirms that despite the interests of the West and the United States in the Arab world, they do not give weight to the Arabs' positions and interests compared to the weight of Israel. For decades, many Americans and Europeans have viewed Israel and its superiority over the Arab world and its protection as a strategic interest for them, without any consideration for any other Arab ally. Despite the West's claim that the Arabs are its allies, the translation of this claim has clashed for decades, and now, during the Israeli war of genocide in Gaza, with a ruling Western intellectual and conceptual framework and perhaps a profound civilizational one. The essence of these frames of thinking is that the West does not give importance to the Arabs and that Israel is an extension and a tool in the Western colonial project in the region. The main goal of these policies is to dominate the Arab and Islamic world and prevent any independent civilizational advancement. By the West in this regard, the article means the American administration and the governments of Germany, Britain, France, and Italy in particular, although the West is not one, that Europe is not like the United States, and that there are European powers with diverse doctrines and ideas, some of which converge with Arab thought. The article deals with the problem of the two intellectual and conceptual frameworks that govern the policies of the American administration and several European governments, which believe that the Arab era should not prevail, that Israel is an essential factor of disintegration in the region, and that the Arab and Islamic governments' possession of power, will, and leadership will be a threatening factor to the colonial Western civilizational hegemony, as well as It will fulfill the Arabs' ambition for civilizational advancement. Moreover, they believe that Israel functionally plays a strategic role in preventing the unity of the Arab region, as they look for civilizational hegemony over the area, which is located in the heart of the three continents of the ancient world (Asia et al.), guarantees Western colonial control intellectually, politically, and security-wise, and economically. The article believes that calling in aircraft carriers, submarines, and warships and operating the air bridge to supply Israel with lethal weapons will confront the successful attempt of the Palestinian resistance to cause a psychological earthquake in the Israeli military and political security establishment on October 7, 2023. The US and some EU states' strategy is based on what the West considers that the growth of the resistance movement militarily and security to this degree means that the brutal, functional state of Israel faces a real strategic threat in the medium and long term. The article highlights that the attempts made by Arab and Islamic countries to persuade the United States and some Western nations to stop the war on the Gaza Strip have been unsuccessful for six months. The ignorance displayed by the US towards Arab positions and requirements is because Arab and Islamic governments have failed to take adequate measures against Israel. Such a result has weakened their efforts and turned them into mere appeals. The article argues that non-Arab or Islamic countries did try to take some action, such as severing relations with Israel or threatening to do so. However, they did not go as far as threatening to cut off oil from Western weapons factories that Israel uses or threatening to withdraw or freeze Arab and Islamic investments in the United States and Europe, which are estimated to be worth over two trillion dollars. Such analysis indicates the extent of paralysis in the Arab will and even the surrender to the United States to lead the international position while it is leading the battle at the same time. In addition, some Arab governments banned all forms of expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, just as all Arab and Islamic countries could not (57 countries) provide humanitarian and medical aid to the people of Gaza, except for a limited number of states. The article emphasizes that the Arab and Islamic ruling elites must use their will and sovereignty, unite with their peoples and living forces, and take positions and measures in support of the Palestinian people to break the thorn of Zionist colonial thought that was imposed on the nation's silence over massacres. It is time to act as such. Otherwise, things rush to form policies that paralyze the will of the ruling elites, an incubator for factors of Chaos, instability, and the rise of people in a new wave of Arab Spring, which might create the dynamics of change more than ever and more robust than in the previous two waves of 2011 and 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article engages with the representations and meanings of child figures within US films about environmentally induced displacement. At the intersection between film studies, childhood studies, and the emerging scholarship on climate mobilities (Boas et al., 2022), it explores the ways in which three contemporary apocalyptic films—The Road (2009), Take Shelter (2011), and Greenland (2020)— mediate the relationship between mobility and environmental collapse through child characters. It argues that the functions attached to the child in these films—those of seer, victim, and carrier of hope and futurity—work to depoliticize climate mobilities, obscuring the varied aspirations, sociopolitical factors, and power structures that shape mobility choices in the context of environmental threat. As imaginary projections of an upcoming climate collapse, these films provide fertile ground for an exploration of the cultural ideals underpinning the construction of child characters, and the influence these have in the articulation of climate mobilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 6, 2023, earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 struck southern and central Turkey. The disaster caused severe damage to buildings and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, leaving many children injured, traumatized, and without basic needs. One of the most sensitive issues was the news stories about children rescued from the rubble. These news stories were highly emotional and sensational, frequently describing the children as miracles. However, they often disregarded the reasons and negligence that caused their victimization. The journalism ethics related to the representation of children, disaster coverage, and interviewing victims are also ignored. This study uses a multimodal critical discourse analysis method to explore the discursive strategies employed in the media coverage of this topic. Three salient common themes were included in the study: "Miracles and hope", "patriarchal state", and "sensational/dramatic elements. The analysis shows that media representations of earthquake victim children in Turkey aestheticize their pain and suffering, reducing them to objects of pity or spectacle. By examining these representations critically, the study aims to raise awareness about the importance of ethical and responsible media practices in reporting on natural disasters and other humanitarian crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in massive refugee migration. In this article we consider how the European Union (EU) and the United States have so far managed this influx of people. For reasons explained in the article, the EU is more focused on humanitarian aid, while the United States is especially engaged through military aid. The EU and the United States have historically employed both overt and covert means of limiting refugee migration, and this has been especially the case with migrants of color. Ukrainian refugees have no problem entering EU countries and receiving help (work permits, housing, etc.), while the United States uses various ways that make entry into the United States fairly complicated and thus contain Ukrainian migration (e.g., difficulty filling out applications, finding a sponsor in the United States). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction War has influenced the evolution of global neurosurgery throughout the past century. Armed conflict and mass casualty disasters (MCDs), including Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief missions, require military surgeons to innovate to meet extreme demands. However, the military medical apparatus is seldom integrated into the civilian health care sector. Neurosurgeons serving in the military have provided a pragmatic template for global neurosurgeons to emulate in humanitarian disaster responses. In this paper, we explore how wars and MCD have influenced innovations of growing interest in the resource-limited settings of global neurosurgery. Methods We performed a narrative review of the literature examining the influence of wars and MCD on contemporary global neurosurgery practices. Results Wartime innovations that influenced global neurosurgery include the development of triage systems and modernization with airlifts, the implementation of ambulance corps, early operation on cranial injuries in hospital camps near the battlefield, the use of combat body armor, and the rise of damage control neurosurgery. In addition to promoting task-shifting and task-sharing, workforce shortages during wars and disasters contributed to the establishment of the physician assistant/physician associate profession in the USA. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face similar challenges in developing trauma systems and obtaining advanced technology, including neurosurgical equipment like battery-powered computed tomography scanners. These challenges—ubiquitous in low-resource settings—have underpinned innovations in triage and wound care, rapid evacuation to tertiary care centers, and minimizing infection risk. Conclusion War and MCDs have catalyzed significant advancements in neurosurgical care both in the pre-hospital and inpatient settings. Most of these innovations originated in the military and subsequently spread to the civilian sector as military neurosurgeons and reservist civilian neurosurgeons returned from the battlefront or other low-resource locations. Military neurosurgeons have utilized their experience in low-resource settings to make volunteer global neurosurgery efforts in LMICs successful. LMICs have, by necessity, responded to challenges arising from resource shortages by developing innovative, context-specific care paradigms and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction outlines the contemporary emergence of new forms of informal crisis-related care, which both complement and contradict classical forms of humanitarian assistance. The introduction traces the spread, blurring, and differentiation of novel forms of non-state assistance and support against the backdrop of increasingly widespread criticism of large-scale international aid. Tackling regimes of care beyond the exceptionality of a crisis notion, the introduction then summarizes how the three contributions and the commentary to this theme section employ the lens of affect for exploring how these highly intersubjective forms of encounter are experienced, performed, and reflected on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 1.5 million refugees and a refugee policy that promotes long-term settlement and self-sufficiency, understanding the impact of refugees on host communities in Uganda is a critical issue. Of particular concern – not only in Uganda, but all refugee-hosting countries – is the economic impact of refugees; while refugees attract aid money into the local economy, the mass distribution of in-kind goods can drive local prices and wages down. Moreover, little is known about the role of economic integration between refugees and hosts, especially in situations of protracted displacement. Using a mixed methods approach with panel survey data and semi-structured interviews, we show significant integration between refugees and hosts that is widely perceived as positive. Results indicate that refugees provide goods and services at lower costs to hosts and often of higher quality than found elsewhere. Yet, these interactions, especially through markets, create competition and may lower prices and wages since proximity to refugees is associated with lower host labor participation and earnings from crop production. The net welfare effect for hosts of being close to refugees are found to be ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article which is based on anthropological fieldworks among Eritrean refugees in Hitsats and Adi Harush camps in North-Ethiopia and out of camp in the capital city Addis Ababa between 2019 and 2022, I report on how the new Ethiopian policy/law environment for refugee response has affected access to formal employment and own business licenses for this third largest refugee group in the country. This policy/law change in Ethiopia was linked to the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) it included, which marked a global shift in handling protracted displacement. A move from refugees' dependency on humanitarian aid to dignified self-reliance through economic inclusion, which in turn would contribute to development in host communities, was envisioned. Ethiopia followed up with 'Nine Pledges' that went far in promising economic inclusion for refugees. The revision of the country's refugee proclamation sought to provide the juridical backing for this new refugee response which, initially, seemed to secure their right to work. However, my findings show that access to formal employment and business licenses is still denied refugees unless they are selected for a joint national-international project with external funding. I therefore argue that, rather than securing self-reliance and with it, refugees' contribution to development, this new policy/law environment for refugee response in Ethiopia represents – in line with neoliberal governmentality – a disavowal of responsibility for their livelihoods. This study thus counters the general opinion that the law/policy shift in Ethiopia was 'progressive'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the Cumulative Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CCVRP), which is used to model many real-world applications, especially in the area of supplying humanitarian aid after a natural disaster. Interestingly, in this study, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) so-called drones are used to assist the trucks in delivering parcels to customers. Each of them travels to different locations to perform specified tasks and meet periodically with the vehicle from which it takes off to swap its battery. In this paper, a mathematical model is formulated which is then tested with small-sized problems using CPLEX software. Due to the difficulty of solving large instances to optimality, we propose a heuristic algorithm based on a well-established type of cluster-first, route-second approach. Then, it is enhanced by some proposed properties. Hereafter, we develop a minimum spanning tree based-lower bound. Finally, extensive computational experiments are carried out by using instances from the literature. They show the good performance of the proposed heuristic algorithm to solve large instances in a very competitive running time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, Yemen, a country facing years of conflict had only one laboratory with PCR testing capacity. In this article, we describe the outcome of the implementation of molecular based diagnostics platform in Yemen and highlight the key milestones the country went through to increase access to testing for its populations residing in a geographically vast and politically divided country. Methods: A retrospective assessment of COVID-19 laboratory response activities was done detailing the needs assessment process, timelines, geographical coverage, and outcomes of the activities. Laboratory data was analyzed to construct the geographical locations of COVID-19 testing laboratories and the numbers of tests performed in each facility to highlight the demands of testing for travelers. Finally, we discuss the impact these activities had in enabling the movement of people across international borders for economic gains and in delivery of critical humanitarian aid. Outcome: PCR testing capacities in Yemen significantly improved, from one laboratory in Sanaa in April 2020 to 18 facilities across the country by June 2022. In addition, the number of functional Real-Time PCR thermocyclers increased from one to 32, the PCR tests output per day improved from 192 to 6144 tests per day. Results from analysis of laboratory data showed there were four peaks of COVID-19 in Yemen as October 2022. The majority of laboratory tests were performed for travelers than for medical or public health reasons. Demand for laboratory testing in Yemen was generally low and waned over time as the perceived risk of COVID-19 declined, in parallel with rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. Discussion/Conclusion: The successful expansion of laboratory testing capacity was instrumental in the control and management of COVID-19 cases and critical in the implementation of public response strategies, including restrictions on gathering. Laboratory testing also facilitated the movement of humanitarian agencies and delivery of aid and enabled hundreds of thousands of Yemeni nationals to travel internationally. By virtue of these outcomes, the impact of laboratory strengthening activities was thus felt in the health sector and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers insights into partnerships that support refugee teachers to adapt and sustain teaching and learning despite multiple compounding obstacles spurred by political and economic crises, disaster, and COVID-19. Drawing from a 3-year study of Syria refugee education in Lebanon (2018–21), I focus on one dimension of partnership that emerged from a dataset comprising 58 interviews and 31 site visits and observations of partnership activities—the principle of mutual learning. Through multidirectional knowledge sharing and a relinquishing of epistemic authority, partners navigated new obstacles presented by the pandemic and sustained education and professional support to Syria refugee teachers. The findings have implications for understanding and addressing critiques of refugee education related to knowledge-power asymmetries, demanding a shift in orientation from capacity building to mutual learning. The article offers empirical evidence of partnership practices that reconfigure knowledge hierarchies, disrupting Northern claims to epistemic authority in education in emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International policy and humanitarian guidance emphasize the need for precise, subnational malaria risk assessments with cross-regional comparability. Spatially explicit indicator-based assessments can support humanitarian aid organizations in identifying and localizing vulnerable populations for scaling resources and prioritizing aid delivery. However, the reliability of these assessments is often uncertain due to data quality issues. This article introduces a data evaluation framework to assist risk modelers in evaluating data adequacy. We operationalize the concept of "data adequacy" by considering "quality by design" (suitability) and "quality of conformance" (reliability). Based on a use case we developed in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières, we assessed data sources popular in spatial malaria risk assessments and related domains, including data from the Malaria Atlas Project, a healthcare facility database, WorldPop population counts, Climate Hazards group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) precipitation estimates, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) precipitation forecast, and Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) conflict events data. Our findings indicate that data availability is generally not a bottleneck, and data producers effectively communicate contextual information pertaining to sources, methodology, limitations and uncertainties. However, determining such data's adequacy definitively for supporting humanitarian intervention planning remains challenging due to potential inaccuracies, incompleteness or outdatedness that are difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, the data hold value for awareness raising, advocacy and recognizing trends and patterns valuable for humanitarian contexts. We contribute a domain-agnostic, systematic approach to geodata adequacy evaluation, with the aim of enhancing geospatial risk assessments, facilitating evidence-based decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global spread of a web-based digital economy raises questions about its potential as a lifeline to people affected by severe economic and humanitarian crises. As local markets crumble and unemployment rises, online freelance work offers a seemingly accessible source of income that is independent of the constraints of local markets and national regulations. This article scrutinizes this promise against the backdrop of multiple evolving crises in Lebanon, asking to what extent a transnational digital economy can serve crisis-affected populations, including refugees, as a secure source of income and work. The research is based on interviews and surveys with Syrian refugees and host community members in Lebanon, who participated in digital skills training programmes and worked as digital freelancers for Social Impact Platforms and Enterprises. Their experience shows how the impact of Lebanon's crises undermined the feasibility of web-based digital work precisely at a time when they needed it most. Syrian refugees in Lebanon are affected by particular layers of regulatory restriction, including their exclusion from digital platforms, skills training programmes, and the financial system. As these layers of exclusion intersect with the precarity of self-employed digital jobs and a severe economic crisis, Syrians' displacement in Lebanon is reconfigured into a digital space of exile within a transnational digital economy. Viewed from this perspective, the digital economy fails to live up to its inclusive promise and fails to transcend the restrictive regulations, economic instability, and precarity that characterizes crisis-affected states and populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, which draws on two years of qualitative research, I examine the ways in which refugees are positioned and position themselves in job training programs and in their initial US jobs. I provide examples of how 'factishes', a combination of facts and fetishes, are fabricated and position the refugees, and those working with them, in discourses associated with migration. Moving from notions of humanitarian aid to economic utility, trainers and employers position the refugees as economic stabilizers, capable of performing low-skill jobs, which US-born workers do not often choose, and which undocumented Mexican migrants do not 'deserve'. In doing so, they also position themselves as helpful humanitarians. The positioning is useful in securing initial employment for the refugees but not in longer term career advancement. Some of the refugees challenge the positioning, modifying the factishes to improve their employment prospects and possibly their long-term integration into society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn many ways, 9/11 and the subsequent ‘Global War on Terror’ came to represent defining factors for the evolution of the Gulf States’ development and humanitarian assistance. In this context, this article explains how the Gulf States responded to these accusations. It argues that Gulf aid has undergone profound changes in terms of transparency, allocation patterns, sources of aid provision, and coordination with multilateral organisations. This ‘branding’ aims to thwart accusations of supporting extremist groups and to create a new image for the Gulf States as big donors, transparent, humanitarian actors with efficient funding mechanisms. Reflecting on the ‘new’ image that the Gulf States are seeking to propagate as donors, this article explains the loopholes in this narrative. Specifically, it reveals, inter alia, that a small fraction of aid is channelled through multilateral organisations, that humanitarian assistance is allocated mostly to regions where the Gulf States are involved in conflicts, and that transparency in foreign aid is merely based on the Gulf States’ reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the UN response to the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in February 2023, and specifically the fact that while the UN responded immediately in southern Türkiye, it did not do so in non-government-controlled northwest Syria. The UN explained that its 'longstanding position' was that aid could not be delivered across an international border without host government consent or Security Council authorisation. This article seeks to understand this position. It reviews the law applicable to cross-border humanitarian assistance, and the guidelines and tools that shape the UN's emergency response. It argues that international law allows cross-border humanitarian assistance without host State consent; however, that the UN's guidelines and tools do not facilitate the provision of assistance in such a scenario. The article concludes by calling for a review of the law, policies and guidelines that shape the way the UN responds to rapid-onset disasters in conflict contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International organizations (IOs) demonstrate both agency and pathologies in their humanitarian work. IOs' operations in war zones hinge on their ability to gain access to vulnerable groups and sites. Such access differs depending on the type of regime the organizations engage with. Working with more transparent and democratic authorities or more closed governments explains the efficacy of some humanitarian efforts and pathological outcomes in others. This essay describes the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Ukraine during 2022 and 2023. Both organizations had more successful outcomes working with the Ukrainian authorities, but they partially failed to fulfill the mandate (ICRC) or were largely restricted in their work (IAEA, ICRC) on Russian controlled territories. This project shows that action by international organizations is possible even in unprecedented scenarios of war. However, working with non-democratic Russian authorities may also lead to pathological outcomes for international organizations, such as the death of detainees whose safe passage the ICRC negotiated, or Russian manipulation of the IAEA monitoring access to a nuclear site with compromised safety. Such stories call for more self-reflectivity on the part of IOs about potential pathological outcomes and courage for ethical action during Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that the vulnerability of female headed households is hugely exacerbated during crises such as wars and conflict. However, little research has uncovered the unique challenges that single women face in accessing humanitarian aid, for themselves and for their dependents, before, during and immediately following a crisis. This article critically examines the challenges that female headed households face in accessing humanitarian aid in crisis settings to provide a clearer and deeper understanding as well as exploration of the risks. This research found that although social and cultural health but also logistical as well as economic challenges limit female headed households' access to humanitarian aid, female heads of households use their agency to actively respond to these challenges to provide for their dependents during a crisis. Thus, female headed households must be recognized as active agents prior to, during and immediate post conflict situations and must be supported socially, politically and economically, using effective, sustainable and equitable techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is time to provide heavier defense systems to U.S. Navy hospital ships. They serve vital functions in both the military and emergency management spaces. They provide medical support for combat operations and can also convey the empathy and generosity of the American people when used in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response. Hospital ships are often key to success in scenarios that require the international deployment of resources and medical expertise. Hospital ships serve a dual purpose and hence are subject to regulations that do not address all wartime mission requirements and necessary defensive capabilities. The current U.S. Navy's interpretation of the Geneva Conventions regarding the visibility, lack of defensive capabilities, and inability to use encrypted communications needlessly endangers medical platforms and personnel in the modern environment. Methods: The authors (including senior author F.M.B.—a recognized (International Health Law expert) reviewed relevant literature and have evaluated the policies of belligerent parties in past and current conflicts. These increasingly appear to target civilian infrastructure including medical facilities and may increase the risk to hospital ships. This demonstrable current hybrid warfare appears to include purposeful attacks on health care facilities and as such hospital ships should have additional defensive measures. Results: Hybrid warfare and its focus on civilian infrastructure and health care targets are highly visible in the acts of both state and non-state actors and may encourage others to purposefully target health care facilities and personnel. Evidence of this is seen in the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, where since the invasion a year ago 1,218 Ukrainian health facilities have been damaged, including 540 damaged hospitals, 173 of which were totally destroyed and turned into "piles of stones." Conclusions: In today's conflicted global environment, the clear identification of hospital ships leaving them relatively undefended and denying encrypted communication is the folly of a bygone era. Hospital ships may be targeted because they are brightly lit soft targets that can deliver a large payoff by their destruction. It is time to adapt to the global reality and move on from the tradition of painting hospital ships white, adorning them with red crosses, keeping them unarmed, maintaining open communications, and illuminating them at night. The increasing threats from hybrid warfare and unprincipled adversaries to medical platforms and providers of health care demonstrate that hospital ships must be capable of self-defense. The U.S. Navy is designing new platforms for medical missions and the debate, no matter how uncomfortable, must now occur among major decision-makers to make them more tactical and defensible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humanitarian assistance is not carried out in a vacuum. As urban warfare historically complicates humanitarian aid's access to civilians in war zones, Ukraine, having suffered and still facing highly publicized violence in civilian-dense areas, has encountered dire obstacles in acquiring necessary resources for civilians' survival, including both direct and incidental attacks on humanitarian access. Thus, it is vital the international legal community take measures to mitigate current and future dangers of urban warfare, as well as design new solutions, such as strengthening current international law under which obstructing humanitarian access constitutes a violation of jus cogens principles, attempting to induce countries to move away from conflict in civilian-populated areas, supporting previously attempted alleviations such as "safe zones" and humanitarian corridors, and boosting the concrete legal status of NGOs' and other organizations' neutrality, to ensure easier access to humanitarian aid in present and future war zones. In Part II (Part I being an introduction), this paper will first lay a foundation of the history of humanitarian assistance in armed conflict and civilians' rights to humanitarian assistance in armed conflict. Part III will introduce the history of urban warfare, then discuss common obstacles to humanitarian assistance (whether intentionally or unintentionally caused by States), specifically in situations of urban warfare. Part IV will examine how Ukraine has experienced and is currently experiencing humanitarian access issues, and the applicable obligations which involved States have failed to uphold. Finally, Part V will discuss potential solutions to the difficulty facing aid workers in Ukraine and other urban armed conflict situations where civilians are impacted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even as the protection of civilians becomes a widely held norm, there is substantial variation in public support for humanitarian policy efforts. We use a survey experiment in Sweden to gain insights into this puzzle. Our survey confirms that citizens generally support military, but particularly non-military, means of civilian protection. Yet, we also find that support is partly particularized. Specifying that civilians may have ties to extremist groups (as victims or supporters) reduces support for proposals to provide humanitarian aid, contribute to UN observer missions and accept refugees. We trace this reduced support to lower moral obligation and higher threat perceptions. In contrast to expectations, respondents do not prioritize the protection of co-nationals, or women and children. Manipulation checks suggest the explanation that perceptions of who constitutes a civilian are subjective. Our findings provide insights into the domestic political determinants of atrocity prevention abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The war in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022, has led to a significant civilian involvement in Israel, particularly among immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who began to provide humanitarian assistance, including interpreting. Highlighting the interrelation between translation and migration, I argue that the war strongly affects multiple hybrid identities of immigrant-interpreters who along with interlingual translation engage also in processes of cultural (self-re)translation. Scholarly attention for such experiences has been relatively limited, since most research on interpreting in war and conflict has prioritized interpreter experiences within war struck regions. Little attention has also been devoted to the work of (conference) interpreters who are themselves immigrants. In this autoethnographic study therefore, I present my own experience during the war as both an immigrant from Russia and a conference interpreter who works with Russian and Hebrew. I discuss several aspects pertinent to the immigrant-interpreter experience within and beyond the interpreting practice: being part of a collective of immigrants, involved in humanitarian assistance; negotiating the devaluation of Russian(ness); facing challenges to the (in)visibility, implied in the interpreter's role; and moving in-between the origin and the host countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: The Jordan Compact was signed in 2016 by the Government of Jordan and the European Union (EU) to allow 200,000 Syrian refugees to work in Jordan in exchange for better access to the EU market for Jordan's exports. This marked a transition for Jordan's humanitarian sector. However, while services did indeed expand and elements of labour transitions and livelihood support were included, these benefits were exclusively for Syrian refugees and Jordanians, with little consideration given to other vulnerable refugees and migrant workers. Purpose: We examine how the Jordan Compact affected refugee aid and inclusion for Syrians, and its effects on other refugees and migrant workers in Jordan. Methods and approach: We draw on media and news articles, reports from non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations, Jordanian law and policy, and prior academic research. We analyse the content of key informant interviews with representatives of government, international organizations, and NGOs conducted in August 2019. We use observations from the author's experience as a development worker in Jordan from 2016 to 2020. Policy implications: Situated in an increasingly complex debate on the differential reception of refugees, we show differential treatment of refugees beyond reception and border policy. The selective, temporary, nationality‐based legalization of refugee labour is intrinsically linked to the nature of refugeehood, whereby governments cannot maintain strict short‐term limits on residency as they can with migrant labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to document Qatar's recent contribution of humanitarian, development, and peace-related efforts to the Sudanese in Darfur. It delves deeply into Qatar's involvement in Darfur by tracing the flow of foreign assistance provided between 2011 and 2018, while analysing the relevant mediation efforts to settle the conflict in the region. The paper calls for adopting the Triple Nexus approach – or humanitarian development-peace nexus in dealing with Qatar's role as a third party in Darfur both as a donor and mediator. Contextualising Qatar's role in this context necessitates considering its foreign assistance and peace-related efforts in conflict-affected contexts and its positioning in relation to the Triple Nexus. While Qatar has not publicly committed itself to the Triple Nexus reforms directed to OECD-DAC donor countries, the paper argues that adopting the Triple Nexus approach might develop the prevailing humanitarian and development and peace-related assistance practices in Qatar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic workers were one of the most negatively affected groups by COVID‐19 in Latin America, yet they have also been resisting and mobilizing in impressive and innovative ways. This article shows that domestic workers' organizations were able to adapt to an extremely adverse context in order to protect their members and defend their rights. Furthermore, their mobilizations provide an alternative vision of society grounded on love and solidarity and offer concrete ways forward to "build back better." Indeed, their core campaign, "Care for those who care for you", demands the recognition of care work as real work and fair treatment for those who provide this care. Based on an analysis of this campaign, I have identified 3 repertoires of care‐resistance: the promotion of self‐care and well‐being, concrete practices of solidarity through the distribution of humanitarian aid, and legal mobilizations for the recognition of care as a fundamental right. I argue that these forms of action contribute to feminist ethics and theories of care and that putting forward the right to care and be cared for in times of crisis is an act of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a pedagogical aim, we offer an overview of some, though certainly not all, of the potential initial framing considerations in forced displacement research. We then engage with several of the key terms currently in use by international agencies before discussing how those terms can be (re)interpreted as they are taken up in transnational contexts. In attending to the ethics of naming throughout, we suggest that terms developed by international policy bodies should be approached situationally in disasters as part of humanitarian aid. Just as document-specific definitions need not go beyond the document, situation-specific terms should not become oppressive labels that have the potential to stigmatize people for the rest of their lives. Thus, we caution against assigning such terms as fixed identity categories, as they have the potential to reduce a person to a situation in which they may have once found themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo discute la visita del Ministro de Seguridad Social y Migraciones de España, José Luís Escrivá, al centro humanitario de la organización sin ánimo de lucro por los derechos de los solicitantes de asilo, Movimiento por la Paz (MPDL), Asturias. El artículo también discute una guía de comunicación feminista para luchar contra la violencia machista y la ayuda humanitaria de las ONG para proteger a las personas en Gaza e Israel.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now applied in various contexts, from casual uses like entertainment and smart homes to critical decisions such as determining medical priorities, drug recommendations, humanitarian aid planning, satellite schedules, privacy, and detecting malicious software. There has been significant research into the societal impacts of algorithmic decision-making. For instance, studies on consumer preferences in user-centered explainable AI (XAI) found that AI is becoming an integral part of our daily experiences, with its influence expected to surge. Researchers have also shed light on racial prejudices in algorithm-based bail decisions, probed the possibility of biases in AI-driven recruitment systems, and detected gender bias in online ads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first quarter of the XX century, the titles that emerged based on the political relations between the Ottoman Empire and Italy were the Tripoli War, World War I, and the Italian invasion attempt in Anatolia afterward. Italy-Ottoman relations could settle on the grounds of amity after Italy occupied Libyan lands under Ottoman rule in 1911. During the First World War, the two countries fought between the enemy alliances, and after the war, Italian troops took part in the Anatolian lands occupied by the Allied Powers. However, when we look at the years just before these developments, some developments, which can be evaluated within the scope of humanitarian and friendship relations between the Ottoman Empire and Italy in connection with a natural disaster, draw attention. The earthquake and the tsunami that occurred on December 28, 1908, the epicenter of the Strait of Messina, located at the southern end of Italy, became a complete disaster for the region's people. The region was severely damaged by the earthquake in the morning, and the tsunami waves that hit the land for a short time after the shaking further increased the impact of the disaster. After this earthquake, in which 60,000 people lost their lives and many settlements, especially the cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria, became almost uninhabitable, many countries extended a helping hand to Italy, providing medical aid, shelter, food, and other assistance. In this context, the Ottoman Empire took action immediately after the earthquake news reached Istanbul and decided to help Italy. This study explores the humanitarian aid that the Ottoman Empire delivered to Italy to heal the disaster survivors' wounds after the 1908 Messina earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afghanistan as a focal state for super powers remained a war-torn territory since 19th century. Its geopolitical importance can't be ignored as country connects South Asia to Central Asia. Afghanistan as a neighbouring state of Pakistan is also very significant for India. Peaceful/violence circumstances in Afghanistan have immense effect on Pakistan. Pakistan had to pay high cost of the war against terror in the Afghanistan. Despite extending of full cooperation to USA, Pakistan was identified as an untrustworthy state, as US blamed Pakistan that all the terrorists operating in Pakistan are the state sponsored terrorists. On the other hand, Pakistan as the US ally cannot be trustworthy for Taliban. During peace process, paradoxically US accepted Pakistan as a vital mediator between the Taliban and US. Pakistan remained US ally, whenever US needed. On other hand, Pakistan may have to pay heavy cost after US withdrawal. After Taliban take over, Pakistan has started to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and provided shelter to Afghan refugees. China, the emerging power of the world, has taken initiatives to enhance with Afghanistan. Once again it is China which needed Pakistan for successfully attaining its aim. Pakistan eminence in South Asian region cannot be neglected. Regional peace and stability are vital for Pakistan's own viability and prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What happens with data when the research process radically involves and engages those who are in the target group? How can we move towards collaborative insights by integrating our participants in the design of research, conduct of work, and, ultimately, its writing and dissemination? And how does this enable us to devise better futures when imagining such futures may be the very problem? Based on experimental research methods with Syrian refugee youth in Jordan, this article discusses how novel ways of engaging target groups in research can help push analyses in new directions. Collaborative methods, we argue, allow for 3 general analytical displacements that may help us work through the protracted nature of much humanitarian intervention and aid work: namely, moves from worldmaking to waymaking, from urgency to discernment, and from the biological to the biographical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, with the rapid expansion of social media as a means of quick communication, real-time disaster information is widely disseminated through these platforms. Determining which real-time and multi-modal disaster information can effectively support humanitarian aid has become a major challenge. In this paper, we propose a novel end-to-end model, named GCN-based Multi-modal Domain Adaptation (GMDA), which consists of three essential modules: the GCN-based feature extraction module, the attention-based fusion module and the MMD domain adaptation module. The GCN-based feature extraction module integrates text and image representations through GCNs, while the attention-based fusion module then merges these multi-modal representations using an attention mechanism. Finally, the MMD domain adaptation module is utilized to alleviate the dependence of GMDA on source domain events by computing the maximum mean discrepancy across domains. Our proposed model has been extensively evaluated and has shown superior performance compared to state-of-the-art multi-modal domain adaptation models in terms of F1 score and variance stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]