Hostname: page-component-55f67697df-4ks9w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-08T18:33:48.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Rationale for Military Involvement in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2019

Deon V. Canyon Open the ORCID record for Deon V. Canyon [Opens in a new window] ,
Benjamin J. Ryan  and
Frederick M. Burkle Jr Open the ORCID record for Frederick M. Burkle Jr [Opens in a new window]
Deon V. Canyon*
Affiliation:
Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, HawaiiUSA
Benjamin J. Ryan
Affiliation:
Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, HawaiiUSA
Frederick M. Burkle Jr
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MassachusettsUSA; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DCUSA
*
Correspondence: Deon V. Canyon, PhD, DBA, MPH, FACTM Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies 2058 Maluhia Rd Honolulu, Hawaii96815-1949USA E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Good relations and trust are the foundation of soft power diplomacy and are essential for the accomplishment of domestic interventions and any bilateral or multilateral endeavor. Military use for assistance and relief is not a novel concept, but it has increased since the early 1990s with many governments choosing to provide greater numbers of forces and assets to assist domestically and internationally. The increase is due to the growing lack of capacity in global humanitarian networks and increasingly inadequate resources available to undertake United Nations humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions. In response, the military has been more proactive in pursuing the improvement of military-to-military and military-to-civilian integration. This trend reflects a move towards more advanced and comprehensive approaches to security cooperation and requires increased support from the civilian humanitarian sector to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Military assistance is progressing beyond traditional methods to place a higher value on issues relating to civil cooperation, restoring public health infrastructure, protection, and human rights, all of which are ensuring a permanent diplomatic role for this soft power approach.

Keywords

conflictdisastersHADRmilitarypoliciessecurity
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 35 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 92 - 97
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

UNISDR, EM-DAT, CRED. The Human Cost of Weather-Related Disasters 1995-2015. Geneva, Switzerland: UNDRR; 2015.Google Scholar
EM-DAT. The international disaster database. https://www.emdat.be/. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Garschagen, M, Hagenlocher, M, Comes, M, et al. World Risk Report 2016. World Risk Report. Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and UNU-EHS; 2016.Google Scholar
Spiegel, P. The humanitarian system is not just broke, but broken: recommendations for future humanitarian action. Lancet. 2017;10.1016/S0140-6736(17):31278-3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, M. Haley cheers cuts to UN peacekeeping: “We’re only getting started.” CNN. June 29, 2017. http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/29/politics/haley-on-un-cuts/index.html. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Kaplan, R. US forces: the world’s best relief group. New York Times. October 12, 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/opinion/12iht-edkaplan. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Civil–Military Guidelines and Reference for Complex Emergencies; 2008. www.unocha.org/what-we-do/coordination-tools/UN-CMCoord/overview. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Oslo Guidelines. Draft Guidelines on the Use of Military and Civil Defense Assets to Support United Nations Humanitarian Activities in Complex Emergencies. New York USA/Geneva, Switzerland: OCHA; 2009.Google Scholar
Hofmann, CA, Hudson, , British Red Cross. Military responses to natural disasters: last resort or inevitable trend? Humanitarian Practice Network. October 2009. http://odihpn.org/magazine/military-responses-to-natural-disasters-last-resort-or-inevitable-trend/. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Gursky, EA, Burkle, FM, Jr, Hamon, DW, Walker, P, Benjamin, GC. The changing face of crises and aid in the Asia-Pacific. Biosecur Bioterror. 2014;12(6):310–317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
GHA. Global humanitarian assistance report, 2016. http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/GHA-report-2016-full-report.pdf. Accessed June 2017.Google Scholar
Ferris, E. Future Directions in Civil-Military Responses to Natural Disasters. Washington, DC USA: Brookings Institution; 2012.Google Scholar
Harlan, C. A pacifist nation comes to depend on the service of its troops. Washington Post. April 3, 2011:A12.Google Scholar
Yamada, S. Hearts and minds: Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan and the use of humanitarian assistance/disaster relief to further strategic ends. Social Medicine. 2017;11(2):76–82.Google Scholar
Fukushima, AI, Ginoza, A, Hase, M, Kirk, G, Lee, D, Shefler, T. Disaster militarism: rethinking US relief in the Asia-Pacific. Foreign Policy in Focus. March 11, 2014. http://fpif.org/disaster-militarism-rethinking-u-s-relief-asia-pacific/. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Brattberg, E. The case for US military response during international disasters; 2013. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/190954-the-case-for-us-military-response-during-international. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Guinto, J, Talev, M, Mattingly, P. US, Philippines sign defense pact amid China tensions. Bloomberg L.P. April 28, 2014.Google Scholar
CFE-DM. Advances in civil-military coordination in catastrophes. Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance; 2018. https://www.cfe-dmha.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=QEDCMlMtTc4=%26portalid=0. Accessed July 2019.Google Scholar
DeLuce, D. Military’s aid operations help promote US interests. Agence France-Presse. November 14, 2014. http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/11/13/13/militarys-aid-operations-help-promote-us-interests. Accessed May 2016.Google Scholar
Wiharta, S, Ahmad, H, Haine, JY, Löfgren, J, Randall, T. The effectiveness of foreign military assets in natural disaster response. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 2008.Google Scholar
Yates, A, Bergin, A. More than good deeds: disaster risk management and Australian, Japanese and US Defense forces, Special Report. Canberra, Australia: Australian Strategic Policy Institute. 2011;43:15. www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=322. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Wooten, LP, James, EH. Linking crisis management and leadership competencies: the role of human resource development. Advances in Developing Human Resources. 2008;10(3):352–379.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chandler, RC. Top 14 positive traits of effective crisis leaders. https://www.interstaterestoration.com/blog/top-14-positive-traits-effective-crisis-leaders. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Boin, A, t’Hart, P. Public leadership in times of crisis: mission impossible. Public Administration Review. 2003;63(5):544–553.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
US Embassy in the Philippines. Balikatan 33 strengthens US-Philippine defense partnership through counterterrorism and HADR training. https://ph.usembassy.gov/balikatan-33-strengthens-us-philippine-defense-partnership-counterterrorism-hadr-training/. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Mullins, MR, Nakano, K. Disasters and Social Crisis in Contemporary Japan: Political, Religious, and Sociocultural Responses. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan; 2016.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
RHCC. Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (RHCC). 2017. https://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/press_room/details.html?name=25jan17_factsheet&date=2017-01-25. Accessed September 2017.Google Scholar
UNHCR. Social and economic impact of large refugee populations on host developing countries. United Nations High Commission for Refugees. 1997;EC/47/SC/CRP.7.Google Scholar
IASC. Operational Guidelines on the Protection of Persons in Situations of Natural Disasters, Brookings–LSE Project on Internal Displacement, 2011. www.brookings.edu/reports/2011/0106_operational_guidelines_nd.aspx. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Jacob, C. Civilian protection in the context of disaster planning and response. In: Cook, ADB, (ed). World Humanitarian Summit – Implications for the Asia-Pacific. RSIS Policy Report; 2017. https://ebs.dai.csd.disa.mil/cgi-bin/banner_appsLogin. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Burkle, FM, Erickson, T, von Schreeb, J, et al.The solidarity and health neutrality of physicians in war & peace. PLoS Currents. 2017;January 20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inter-American Defence Board. Natural disaster in Venezuela; update January 12, 2000. ReliefWeb. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/OCHA-4C67Y?OpenDocument&rc=2&emid=FL-1999-0547-VEN. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Loria, D. EU military contribution to disaster relief. ASEAN Regional Forum; Brussels, Belgium: April 8, 2014.Google Scholar
China’s People Liberation Army. Personal communication.Google Scholar
Sun, Y. China’s aid to Africa: monster or messiah? Brookings. February 7, 2014. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/chinas-aid-to-africa-monster-or-messiah/. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Zhang, J. Chinese foreign assistance, explained. Brookings. July 19, 2016. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2016/07/19/chinese-foreign-assistance-explained/. Accessed July 2017.Google Scholar
Skidmore, M, Toya, H. Do natural disasters promote long-run growth? Economic Inquiry. 2002;40:664–687.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cuaresma, JC, Hlouskova, J, Obersteiner, M. Natural disasters as creative destruction? Evidence from developing countries. Economic Inquiry. 2008;46:214–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noy, I, Vu, TB. The economics of natural disasters in a developing country: the case of Vietnam. Journal of Asian Economics. 2010;21:345–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loayza, NV, Olaberría, E, Rigolini, J, Christiaensen, L. Natural disasters and growth: going beyond the averages. World Development. 2012;40:1317–1336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benson, C, Clay, E. Understanding the Economic and Financial Impacts of Natural Disasters. Disaster Risk Management Series No. 4. Washington, DC USA: World Bank; 2004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Climate Central. New report and maps: rising seas threaten land home to half a billion. http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/news/global-mapping-choices. Accessed June 2017.Google Scholar
Omelicheva, MY. Natural disasters: triggers of political instability? International Interactions. 2011;37(4):441–465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nye, JS. The benefits of soft power. Working Knowledge, Harvard Business School. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4290.html. Accessed September 2017.Google Scholar
Kartoch, A. Assessing the possible contribution of the military and the challenges faced in their deployment. Remarks at Wilton Park conference; Steyning, West Sussex: January 2007.Google Scholar
Schoff, J. In times of crisis: global and local civil-military disaster relief coordination in the United States and Japan. Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis, Interim Report. Cambridge, Massachusetts USA: IFPA; 2007.Google Scholar
Wheeler, V, Harmer, A. Resetting the rules of engagement: trends and issues in military–humanitarian relations. Humanitarian Policy Group Briefing Paper. March 21, 2006.Google Scholar
Wyler, G. General Petraeus: Bringing myth back to the military. Business Insider. May 19, 2011. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-general-david-petraeus-brought-myth-back-to-the-military-2011-5. Accessed April 2019.Google Scholar
De Torrenté, N. Humanitarian NGOs must not ally with military. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/op-ed/humanitarian-ngos-must-not-ally-military. Accessed September 2017.Google Scholar