In many situations of armed conflict, humanitarian aid organizations are prevented from providing assistance and protection to civilians in need. Sometimes the aid groups are blocked by authorities, sometimes by non-state actors. Humanitarian agencies must often grapple with finding a balance between ensuring the security of their staff and taking the necessary risks to access vulnerable people or communities in greatest need.

On February 15, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted a discussion to explore the challenges

One year since the earthquake that devastated Haiti, the government and people of Haiti continue to experience a multitude of hardships. Massive displacement, a devastated infrastructure and the recent outbreak of cholera have all spurred the international humanitarian community into action. However, even with the mobilization of major relief efforts, many problems remain that will challenge reconstruction efforts for years to come.

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Since the conflicts over Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the early 1990s, violence has erupted several times in Georgia, most notably in August 2008. Large-scale human rights violations characterized the August 2008 war, including the displacement of almost 150,000 people. By the time the fighting ended, Georgia had lost the last areas it controlled in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and Russia subsequently recognized the independence of both. While most of those displaced in the August 2008 war have returned, over 200,000 people from earlier conflicts remain displaced.

Elizabeth Ferris, Co-Director, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement The Brookings Institution

This presentation was conducted at the Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Elizabeth Ferris, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy

National Council of Churches' Working Group on Haiti

September 09, 2010 - In a presentation to the National Council of Churches' working group on Haiti, Elizabeth Ferris outlines why the recovery and reconstruction efforts since the January 2010 earthquake have been disapointing, and points out what needs to be done to improve the situation moving forward.

Thanks for the opportunity to be with you today to talk about your efforts to support recovery and reconstruction

Event Summary

The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan have faced considerable strife over the past decade as a result of the ongoing conflict and tribal tensions. Hundreds of thousands of each country's citizens have been displaced, while the legal framework to protect them