Addressing Public Health Challenges during Humanitarian Crisis

Abstract

A humanitarian crisis is defined as an event or a series of events that threaten the health, safety, or well-being of a community. These crises may be man-made or natural disasters or complex emergencies viz. conflicts, wars, epidemics, pandemics, and other natural disasters like earthquake and famines, requiring unique targeted interventions toward the affected sectors. Worldwide, about 80 million people’s lives are put at risk due to humanitarian crisis arising from human conflicts, viz. Sudan and Syria, or natural disasters.1,2 In the current ongoing conflict in Ukraine, thousands of lives have been lost including that of children and many more have been severely injured. It has been estimated that around 4 million people would flee away from Ukraine in order to find refuge and support from across the region.3 The most vulnerable population groups in such times are women and children, elderly persons, persons with disability, and ethnic minorities. The humanitarian crisis poses an immediate public health risk to the refugee population with regard to not only infectious diseases but also noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), maternal and child health issues, vaccinepreventable diseases, and also mental health disorders.