The World's Emergency Room: The Growing Threat to Doctors, Nurses, and Humanitarian Workers

by Michael VanRooyen

The director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative looks at the alarming rise in violence against doctors and aid workers, and how to stop it

Twenty years ago, the most common cause of death for medical humanitarians and other aid workers was traffic accidents; today, it is violent attacks. And the death of each doctor, nurse, paramedic, midwife, and vaccinator is multiplied untold times in the vulnerable populations deprived of their care. In a 2005 report, the ICRC found that for every soldier killed in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 60 civilians died due to loss of immunizations and other basic health services.

The World's Emergency The Growing Threat to Doctors, Nurses, and Humanitarian Workers documents this dangerous trend, demonstrates the urgent need to reverse it, and explores how that can be accomplished. Drawing on VanRooyen's personal experiences and those of his colleagues in international humanitarian medicine, he takes readers into clinics, wards, and field hospitals around the world where medical personnel work with inadequate resources under dangerous conditions to care for civilians imperiled by conflict. VanRooyen undergirds these compelling stories with data and historical context, emphasizing how they imperil the key doctrine of medical neutrality, and what to do about it.

Genres: Medicine, Nonfiction, Health, Medical, International Affairs, Politics

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2016

Reviews

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed when I read this book, not because its badly written, but because its badly presented. The title is not accurate; this is not a book about a growing threat in the humanitarian sector. Instead, it is a biography of the author, focusing on his experiences in the field in the 1990s and his experiences teaching at Harvard in the 2000s. I thought it was going to discuss contemporary trends in the field more than it does, instead it focuses on the author's experiences in the field in previous decades.

[Chris Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking to learn more about the world of humanitarian aid, look no further than this book. The author documents his journey as an emergency room doctor connecting with humanitarian medicine. There are countless stories of the action across multiple wars. Hopefully there will be systemic change where these tragedies can be stopped

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

You hear often about aid workers being targeted, but the reasons why are often not covered. This book takes you inside the humanitarian aid world. It includes many crisis that you've read about Haiti, Somali, Rwanda, Chad (and many others) and the difficulties aid workers are faced with while trying to remain neutral. While the different agencies have good intentions it shows how the multiple funds aren't always used to maximum benefit partially due to lack of communication among the different agencies.

While I'm glad I read this book it did take longer than I would have liked as I found it a bit redundant. It is possible I would have liked it to be a bit less technical. I would recommend this book.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredibly inspirational and illuminating. Dr. VanRooyen illuminates issues facing humanitarian workers and his own role in developing the field (without seeming like a braggart or someone too invested in controlling the narrative to benefit himself). This book helped shed a light on some of the big driving factors behind major conflicts which have occurred in the last twenty years or so, and some of the ways that humanitarian action has either helped (or sometimes hindered) people's abilities to move forward. I'll definitely look for Dr. VanRooyen's future books as well.

[AJ Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh, I’m not sure what to say about this.

The good: It was an interesting story, and the author has certainly had an interesting life and has a ton of insight into how the ‘aid world’ works (or doesn’t work in many cases). It’s written in an accessible and easy to read way.

The bad: this book is a memoir, not a book about how it’s becoming more dangerous for humanitarians as the title suggests. Now, does the author talk about how humanitarians are targeted? Yes. But is that the main topic of the book, treated in an academic or research based way (as the title leads you to believe)? Nope, not at all. It’s a memoir of his life and the thoughts he has on the world of humanitarian aid, and how important it is to have well trained folks out there. True, it is, and the author presents it all well.... but it’s not what it would appear to be. Just keep that in mind.

So overall I liked it, but it could have been so much better if it had either been a straight memoir or actually was about the danger aid workers are in and the research around that... but it tried to be a weird mix of both.

[Marija · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and cover are a bit misleading. This is an interesting self-reflection of a career in humanitarian aid. But it focuses on one man’s career, not specifically on the needs of aid workers or threats to them. It is an argument for the professionalization of humanitarian aid workers, and a good one at that. But it is sometimes repetitive in its writing style and the scope is not as wide as the description suggests. So, overall a good book, but the limited scope (one career, one white man) and writing left me unsatisfied.

[Courtney May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty interesting read - the stories of humanitarian issues were compelling. However, I believe the book was too technical and often dove into complex situations and historical events without enough background for the average reader. I also wish it had focused more on solutions rather than a memoir. Nonetheless, it introduced me to a new subfield of medicine.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was painful to finish. It’s not about the threat to emergency workers in the field. It’s an autobiography of the “amazing” things the author has done during his life. If you want to read about field work and the difficulties facing NGO medical staff, this isn’t the book.

[Ethan Bankowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply inspiring to me, love VanRooyen’s story and career. Big fan of the way he presents his niche part of the world from start to finish and offers critiques for the future. Truly one of my favorite books of all time.

[Bridgette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read books like this. It would change the way the world works.

[Jay Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book on the safety of aid workers across the world. Would recommend.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emergency rooms are not for the faint-hearted, so, it wont come as a surprise working in third world, war torn places with make shift hospitals and operating rooms is for hardy people who have purpose. Such is Dr. VanRooyen's disposition and bent toward bringing healing through humanitarian work. The head of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative peels away the mystery of what it is like to serve in places like Serbia, the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and various other places of recent tensions, natural disasters, and health outbreak. VanRooyen describes the passion to heal and save by his colleagues in humanitarian care even when the odds are against them. His own insight into his childhood experiences with a father who suffered under the Nazis and a terminally ill mother who died when he was 7, gives credence to his evangelization of the work. He shows how those childhood experience helped him make the choice to serve, teach, and recruit others to the cause. He is compelling in telling a story in a clear and compassionate manner. It is an excellent primer of humanitarian issues and sensitive story of what one man born with a purpose has done with his life.

[Gpucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empathy, compassion and dignity

I was not at all familiar with the level of complexities that NGOs and humanitarians face in the field. The author leans on his personal experiences throughout his storied career to pull the reader into the raw realities of the atrocities that humankind commit in the name of war. His compassion for his brothers and sisters in war torn regions of the world is illustrated as he urges all of us to defend the basic dignities that we all human beings deserve.

I highly recommend this book for anyone whom wants to understand the great work that is being done across the world in the area of medical humanitarian relief and the dangers that are faced by those involved.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an advance uncorrected proof of this book.

The author did an excellent job of explaining the giving of oneself to humanitarian work.

While the threat to humanitarian workers has increased alarmingly, this information is hardly news to anyone who watches what is going on daily in the world. I have mixed feelings about the general condition of humanity in general. Kudos to those who want to continue to place themselves in unpredictable conditions to try to make a difference.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking view of the damage of war torn countries that will open your eyes to the suffering of thousands of refugees and the attempt of doctors to try to alleviate their medical needs. It will offer some hope that there are kind and courageous people that risk their lives each day in dangerous situations to save destroyed lives. There are all saints.

[Jameson Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Remember: 3 stars equals Like It after all)

Interesting read of the challenges and policy decisions faced by humanitarians. I liked the examples, but it was a bit more clinical and narrowly-focused on the debates surrounding humanitarian work. Great if you're right in that world, but not as palatable for the general audience.

Still, a good read.

[Artem]

Хорошее мотивационное эссе (очень чётко проступающая структура — рассмотрите её, если подаётесь на стипендию или грант, авось поможет). Хороший старт в понимании системы гуманитарной помощи. Средняя книга, что уже становится правилом в 2018: именно книжки, написанные похуже, дают больше информации.