War in the City: Lessons Learnt for the New Century of urban disasters (contribution)

The challenges encountered by the humanitarian system in Port au Prince (Haiti) after the 12 January 2010 earthquake and in Lybian and Syrian cities in 2011/2012 underlined the difficulties to work in urban settings. Not only are urban setting complex, multi layered and often dangerous, but they are also alien to mainstream humanitarian agencies. Technical solutions are often not at hand, and urban lenses are lacking to a system largely rooted in its rural and camp origins. In view of the challenges arising from the accelerated global urbanization, the author call for a paradigmatic shift in order to ensure relevance of humanitarian aid in cities affected by war.