About this Research Topic
World Humanitarian Day takes place on 19th August each year to commemorate the date of the bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, killing 22 humanitarian aid workers. This day is intended to bring together partners from across humanitarian systems to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid works.
The theme of World Humanitarian Day 2022 focuses on highlighting the immediate human cost of the global climate crisis. The focus is on standing in solidarity with those on the front lines in the humanitarian community, as well as the world’s most vulnerable people, by pressuring world leaders to take meaningful climate action as part of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
It is in this spirit that Frontiers in Public Health is launching a new article collection to coincide with this UN day. This occasion offers an opportunity to acknowledge the importance of slowing climate change and securing a sustainable future for the planet. Additionally, it will also consider the importance of the immediate human consequences of the global climate emergency for the world’s most vulnerable people to ensure that their voices are heard, and their lives are protected.
This Frontiers in Public Health Research Topic aims to address the Public Health-specific dimensions of this UN day, highlighting the importance of putting the needs of climate-vulnerable people front and center. Topics may include, but are by no means limited to:
• How climate change associated disasters/emergencies (i.e., tornadoes, heatwaves, and prolonged droughts) are affecting humanitarian systems response, and the mental and physical health of humanitarian aid workers and climate-vulnerable populations;
• Provisions to protect humanitarian aid workers and associated personnel during climate associated disasters/emergencies;
• Immediate health and long-term effects of the global climate crisis on agriculture, food-security and humanitarian systems within climate-vulnerable populations;
• How political and social policies are driving the global climate and health crisis amongst climate-vulnerable populations;
• Provisions and policies to protect and uphold the health of humanitarian aid workers, associated personnel and vulnerable people during climate change associated disasters/emergencies;
• Strengthening of the coordination and protection of emergency humanitarian aid workers;
• Analyze the interactions between climate change and conflicts (the impact of environmentally-induced conflicts, systems for identifying the micro-areas most at risk, and effective/cost-effective interventions to prevent this type of conflict or reduce their impact).
The theme of World Humanitarian Day 2022 focuses on highlighting the immediate human cost of the global climate crisis. The focus is on standing in solidarity with those on the front lines in the humanitarian community, as well as the world’s most vulnerable people, by pressuring world leaders to take meaningful climate action as part of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
It is in this spirit that Frontiers in Public Health is launching a new article collection to coincide with this UN day. This occasion offers an opportunity to acknowledge the importance of slowing climate change and securing a sustainable future for the planet. Additionally, it will also consider the importance of the immediate human consequences of the global climate emergency for the world’s most vulnerable people to ensure that their voices are heard, and their lives are protected.
This Frontiers in Public Health Research Topic aims to address the Public Health-specific dimensions of this UN day, highlighting the importance of putting the needs of climate-vulnerable people front and center. Topics may include, but are by no means limited to:
• How climate change associated disasters/emergencies (i.e., tornadoes, heatwaves, and prolonged droughts) are affecting humanitarian systems response, and the mental and physical health of humanitarian aid workers and climate-vulnerable populations;
• Provisions to protect humanitarian aid workers and associated personnel during climate associated disasters/emergencies;
• Immediate health and long-term effects of the global climate crisis on agriculture, food-security and humanitarian systems within climate-vulnerable populations;
• How political and social policies are driving the global climate and health crisis amongst climate-vulnerable populations;
• Provisions and policies to protect and uphold the health of humanitarian aid workers, associated personnel and vulnerable people during climate change associated disasters/emergencies;
• Strengthening of the coordination and protection of emergency humanitarian aid workers;
• Analyze the interactions between climate change and conflicts (the impact of environmentally-induced conflicts, systems for identifying the micro-areas most at risk, and effective/cost-effective interventions to prevent this type of conflict or reduce their impact).
Keywords: humanitarian aid workers, disaster and emergency medicine, global climate crisis, climate-vulnerable people, climate and conflict
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
