International Institute of Social Studies

Key publications - When Disaster Meets Conflict

These are the most important publications published by year by our research team. The complete list of publications from our researchers can be found on their staff pages.

  • Humanitarian action in disaster and conflict settings

    van Voorst, R.S. & Hilhorst, D.J.M (2017). Humanitarian action in disaster and conflict settings. Insights of an expert panel.

    One of the first team publications, this report  by Roanne van Voorst and Dorothea Hilhorst helps scholars and practitioners to better understand the engagement of the international aid sector with local political realities in conflict settings. The report records the insights that were drawn from two rounds of an expert panel, in which 30 key humanitarian actors with great experience in the field participated.

  • Journal of Modern African Studies

    Desportes, I., Mandefro, H., & Hilhorst, D.J.M. (2019). The Humanitarian theatre: Drought response during Ethiopia’s low-intensity conflict of 2016. Journal of Modern African Studies, 57(1), 1–29.
    Ethiopia is often regarded a humanitarian success case when it comes to responding to disasters. But what happens backstage, and when the worst drought in decades overlaps with widespread and deadly protests and a State of Emergency? 

  • Journal of International Humanitarian Action

    Hilhorst, D.J.M. (2018). Classical humanitarianism and resilience humanitarianism: making sense of two brands of humanitarian action.  Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 3, 1-12.

    In recent years, the classical, Dunantist humanitarian paradigm that was based on the ethics of the humanitarian principles and centred on humanitarian UN agencies and NGOs has been paralleled by a resilience paradigm that is focused on local people and institutions as the first responders to crises. Whereas classical humanitarianism is rooted in the notion of exceptionalism, resilience humanitarianism starts from the idea of crisis as the new normality.

    This paper discusses the two paradigms and the incongruent images they evoke about crises, local institutions and the recipients of aid.

  • Climate change, disasters sustainability transition and peace in anthropocene

    Brauch, H.G., Oswald Spring, U., Collins, A., Serrano Oswald, S.E. (Eds.) (2019) Change, Disasters, Sustainability Transition and Peace in the Anthropocene. Springer

    Samantha Melis and Rodrigo Mena each wrote a chapter in this book. Samantha Melis’ chapter is entitled ‘The Fragile State of Disaster Response: Understanding Aid-State-Society Relations in Post-Conflict Settings’, Rod Mena’s ‘Climate Change, Disasters, Sustainability Transition and Peace in the Anthropocene’.

Other publications

    • Desportes, I., Mandefro, H., & Hilhorst, D.J.M. (2019). The Humanitarian theatre: Drought response during Ethiopia’s low-intensity conflict of 2016. Journal of Modern African Studies, 57 (1), 1–29. https://doi.org/J Mod Afr Studhttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X18000654
    • Desportes, I. (2019). Getting relief to marginalised minorities: the response to cyclone Komen in 2015 in Myanmar. Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 1–26. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-019-0053-z
    • Hilhorst, D.J.M., Desportes, I., & de Miliano, C (2019). Humanitarian governance and resilience building: Ethiopia in comparative perspective. Disasters, 43(S2), 109-131. doi: 10.1111/disa.12332
    • Melis, S. (2019). 'Questioning 'the local' in 'localisation': A multi-local reply.' blISS. The ISS Blog on Global Development and Social Justice. 
    • van Voorst, R.S. (Forthcoming in 2019). Juxtapositions and disasters in Jakarta. Urban Forum.
    • Van Voorst, R.S. (2019). PDNA Guidance: Integrating Conflict Sensitivity. UNDP Peer review assessment & input.

    • Fuller, A., Hellman, J., Kusno, A., Thynell, M. & van Voorst, R.S.(2018). Jakarta: a Conversation. In Jakarta Claiming spaces and rights in the city. London: Routledge
    • Hellman, J. & van Voorst, R.S.(2018). Claiming Space in Jakarta: Megaprojects, City Planning and Incrementalism. In J Hellman, M Thynell & R van Voorst (Eds.), Jakarta. Claiming spaces and rights in the city (pp. 157-172). London: Routledge
    • Hellman, J., Thynell, M. & Van Voorst, R.S.(2018). Introduction: Shaping Jakarta, Jörgen Hellman, Marie Thynell, Roanne van Voorst. In J Hellman, M Thynell & R.S. van Voorst (Eds.), Jakarta. Claiming spaces and rights in the city (pp. 1-14). London: Routledge
    • Hilhorst, D.J.M. (2018). Classical humanitarianism and resilience humanitarianism: making sense of two brands of humanitarian action.  Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 3, 1-12. doi: 10.1186/s41018-018-0043-6
    • Kuipers E. H. C. (2018). Missed opportunity foretold. Exploring the Co-Governance of Humanitarian Aid in Conflict-Affected Colombia: Case Study of the Mocoa Mudslide 2017. Unpublished Masters thesis, University of Amsterdam.
    • Melis, S. (2018). The Fragile State of Disaster Response: Understanding Aid-State-Society Relations in Post-Conflict Settings. In Climate Change, Disasters, Sustainability Transition and Peace in the Anthropocene (Vol. 25). Springer
    • Mena Fluhmann, R.A. (2018). Responding to Socio-environmental Disasters in High-Intensity Conflict Scenarios: Challenges and Legitimation Strategie.  In HG Brauch, U Oswald Spring, A Collins & SE Serrano Oswald (Eds.), Climate Change, Disasters, Sustainability Transition and Peace in the Anthropocene (The Anthropocene: Politik, Economics, Society, Science) (pp. 27-66). Switzerland: Springer
    • Srikandini, A.G. (2018, March 27). Politics of Disaster Risk Governance in Indonesia and Myanmar: a study into the dynamics of governance network on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Dissertation, EUR Supervisor(s): prof.dr.ir. D.J.M. Hilhorst & R.S. van Voorst.
    • Srikandini, A.G, Hilhorst, D.J.M. & van Voorst, R.S. (2018). Disaster Risk Governance in Indonesia and Myanmar: The Practice of Co-Governance.  Politics and Governance, 6 (3), 180-189. doi: 10.17645/pag.v6i3.1598  [go to publisher's site]
    • Srikandini, A.G., Van Voorst, R.S. & Hilhorst, D.J.M. (2018). Disaster Risk Governance in Indonesia and Myanmar: The Practice of Co-Governance. Politics and Governance, 6 (3), 180-189.
    • van Voorst, R.S. & Hilhorst, D.J.M. (2018). Key Points of Interactive Research: An Ethnographic Approach to Risk.  In A. Olofsson & J.O. Zinn (Eds.), Researching Risk and Uncertainty. Methodologies, Methods and Research Strategies (Critical Studies in Risk and Uncertainty) (pp. 53-76). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan
    • van Voorst, R.S., Hellman, J. & Thynell, M. (2018) Shaping Jakarta: Claiming spaces and rights in the city. [Edited Volume]. Oxfordshire: Routledge.
    • van Voorst, R.S. & Desportes, I. (2018). (How) should scholars say what humanitarians can’t? (blog). blISS - The ISS Blog on Global Development and Social Justice. (available: 16 May 2018).

    • van Voorst, R.S. (2016) Natural Hazards, Risk and Vulnerability. Floods and Slum life in Indonesia. [book]. Oxfordshire: Routledge.

    • Desportes, I., Waddel, J. & Hordijk, M.A. (2015) Improving flood risk governance through multi-stakeholder collaboration: a case study of Sweet Home informal settlement, Cape Town. South African Journal of Science. doi: 10.1080/03736245.2015.1052842 
    • Hilhorst, D., Baart, J., van der Haar, G.,Leeftink, F. (2015) Is Disaster ‘normal’ for indigenous people? Indigenous knowledge and coping practices”, Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol.24:4, 506-522
    • van Voorst, R.S. (2015). Formal and informal flood governance in Jakarta, Indonesia. Habitat International, August (23). doi: 10.10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.08.023
    • van Voorst, R.S. (2015). Heterogeneous risk-handling styles in Jakarta, Indonesia. Disaster Prevention and Management, 24 (4).
    • van Voorst, R.S. & Padawangi, R. (2015) Floods and Forced Evictions in Jakarta. People, politics and planning collide in riverside slum Kampung Pulo. Online article, New Mandala. URL:
    • van Voorst, R.S.& Stepputat, F. (2015) Research Report ‘Natural hazard, urban governance, aid and development cooperation in the Global South’. Copenhagen: Danish Institute for International Studies & Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
    • van Voorst, R.S., Wisner, B., Hellman, J. & Nooteboom, G. (2015). Introduction to the ‘risky everyday’ (editorial). Disaster Prevention and Management, 24 (4). doi: 10.1108/DPM-04-2015-0077