Dag Hammarskjöld Library at Uppsala University
Humanitarian Affairs
- © United Nations
The humanitarian assistance of the United Nations comprises emergency relief and long term assistance through a complex interaction of UN bodies, other international and national organizations, governments and the affected population.
The scope of humanitarian activity ranges from humanitarian crises resulting
from war and violent conflict to natural and technical disasters. Complex emergencies with multiple causes that require a broad and comprehensive assistance approach have become increasingly important.
Several UN programmes, funds and agencies are involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief:
UN body | Full name | More information in DagDok |
Food and Agriculture Organization | ||
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs | ||
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights | ||
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS | ||
United Nations Development Programme | ||
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees | ||
United Nations Children's Fund | ||
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East | ||
United Nations Volunteers | ||
World Food Programme | ||
World Health Organization | ||
World Meteorological Organization |
Documentation
The fundamental principles for UN humanitarian assistance and emergency relief were set forth in resolution A/RES/46/182: Strengthening of coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations, adopted by the General Assembly in 1991.
Information about UN humanitarian activities and emergency relief with links to relevant UN bodies, databases and full text documents can be accessed from the UN official web site, section Humanitarian Affairs.
Yearbook of the United Nations, Part Three: Economic and social questions, Chapter III: Humanitarian and special economic assistance provides an excellent overview of the work of the United Nations with a detailed subject index. A complete collection of yearbooks is held by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, Uppsala, and the Libraries at UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva. Since October 2008 the complete full text collection of The United Nations Yearbooks is available online at http://unyearbook.un.org/.
Databases and Indexes
A web portal to humanitarian activities with links to UN main bodies and focal points and full text documents and reports is posted at the Official web site of the United Nations, section Global Issues, Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance.
The UN Library online catalogue UNBISnet contains reports, documents and articles related to UN activities with links to full texts for recent years. Subject search can be performed using relevant terms from the UNBIS THESAURUS.
Full text documents from 1993 onwards can be accessed through the United Nations Official Document System - ODS.
Printed Indexes