2 ECTS; 1º Ano, Anual, 14,0 TP , Cód. 41471.
Lecturer
- Pedro Miguel Henriques Matos (1)
(1) Docente Responsável
(2) Docente que lecciona
Prerequisites
Objectives
To provide students with a solid understanding of the conceptual, normative, and institutional foundations of international humanitarian action, enabling them to analyze different types of crises and understand the organization, principles, actors, and key sectors of intervention that structure an effective and ethical humanitarian response.
Specific objectives include:
- Describing humanitarian principles, SPHERE standards, and key international and national coordination mechanisms.
- Identifying the institutional actors involved in a response (governments, UN, NGOs, Red Cross movements, private sector).
- Analyzing how natural disasters and climate change shape needs, vulnerabilities, and interventions.
- Explaining the characteristics of crises in contexts of armed conflict and fragile states, including challenges of access and protection of civilians.
- Recognizing sectoral challenges in public health, food security, nutrition, WASH, shelter, and the humanitarian cluster system.
- Understanding the cycle of emergencies, and transition to recovery, resilience, and sustainable development.
- Integrate cross-cutting issues such as gender and diversity inclusion into the analysis and design of responses.
Program
I. Main fundamentals, what is an emergency, the path a euro takes
II. Overview of Humanitarian Needs and Humanitarian Response Plan
III. Humanitarian principles, natural and complex disasters, the cluster system, SPHERE standards
IV. Sectoral responses: Health, Food security and nutrition, Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Shelter
V. Sectoral responses: Camp coordination (CCCM), Education, Protection, Early recovery, Logistics, Emergency telecommunications
VI. Media literacy, Analysis of storms in Portugal and Jamaica
Evaluation Methodology
Test: 100%
Bibliography
- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (United Nations), . (2018). UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Field Handbook. Acedido em 26 de janeiro de 2026 em https://reliefweb.int/report/world/un-disaster-assessment-and-coordination-undac-field-handbook-7th-edition-2018
- Shpere Association, . (2018). Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. Acedido em 26 de janeiro de 2026 em https://spherestandards.org/handbook/
Teaching Method
Theoretical presentation of the content and practical application exercises.
Software used in class
Not Applicable
