Research in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies: The Médecins Sans Frontières/Epicentre Experience

摘要

This is the first in a series of articles on conducting research during complex humanitarian emergencies. The United Nations (UN) defines a complex humanitarian emergency (CHE) as “a humanitarian crisis in a country, region, or society where there is total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires an international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single and/or ongoing UN country program” [1]. Such emergencies require adapted, focused, and pragmatic field responses to be organized within short time frames, often under difficult accessibility, security, and climate conditions. Over the years, operational efficiency in the field has increased thanks to research carried out during CHEs.