HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Garfield, R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Garfield, R.

Measuring Humanitarian Emergencies

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Richard Garfield, Columbia University School of Nursing, 617 W 168th St, Room 262, New York, NY (e-mail: rmg3{at}columbia.edu).

The ability to monitor assistance, define humanitarian needs, and approach equity in the distribution of assistance has lagged behind the world’s growing commitment to responding to humanitarian emergencies. This article highlights relevant data sources to elucidate elements of an operational definition of humanitarian need. New and refined measures are proposed to assist in assessing the level of need among affected populations. An original measure that combines data on conflict and disasters to summarize the cumulative magnitude of 4 types of humanitarian threats is presented.

Key Words: crises • emergencies • humanitarian • measurement