Human Rights and Public Health

The Sphere Project is a key initiative - "Sphere envisions a world in which all people affected by disaster or conflict are able to re-establish their lives and recover their livelihoods in ways that respect and promote their dignity." The web site has many resources, including its own e-learning course, and its Handbook is very important. You can access the Handbook here, and either download it or view online.

The table below comes from Transgression of Human Rights in Humanitarian Emergencies: The Case of Somali Refugees in Kenya and Zimbabwean Asylum-Seekers in South Africa published in the Journal of Humanitarian Assistance by CC Ngang. It provides a very clear integrated approach.

You should also explore the sites below:

Human Rights in Humanitarian Action. (From the Global Protection Cluster which "supports protection responses in non-refugee situation humanitarian action as well as leads standard and policy setting relating to protection in complex and natural disaster humanitarian emergencies, in particular with regard to the protection of internally displaced persons.")

The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has the role, among others, "To examine ways and means to overcome the obstacles existing to the full and effective protection of the human rights of migrants, recognizing the particular vulnerability of women, children and those undocumented or in an irregular situation"

The ActionAid website is worth exploring for the various approaches they take to protect human rights during emergencies and conflicts. You can explore human rights in different countries, see the page on South Africa here.