Disaster Management · M2 · read

The ten general ethical principles in the lecture

Principles and ethics

M2 PPT pp 1–14 · unit 3

Definition. General ethical principles guide fair decisions before, during and after disasters.

  1. Solidarity. People and institutions share the burden of disaster losses. An unaffected district can send trained staff and supplies to an affected district.
  2. Joint responsibility. Government, businesses, communities and individuals each have duties. A factory maintains safety systems while local authorities prepare off-site response.
  3. Non-discrimination. Assistance must not depend on caste, religion, gender or political affiliation. Registration and shelter access must be fair and accessible.
  4. Humanity. Protect life, health and human dignity. Provide water, shelter and urgent care while preventing humiliation or exploitation.
  5. Impartiality. Allocate assistance according to assessed need and urgency. A severely affected settlement may receive more resources than a less affected one.
  6. Neutrality. Humanitarian assistance should not take sides in political or other conflicts. Relief distribution must not become political campaigning.
  7. Co-operation. Agencies share information, resources and responsibilities. Health teams, police, fire services and local volunteers coordinate through agreed arrangements.
  8. Territorial sovereignty. External assistance respects the affected state’s authority and applicable coordination arrangements. International teams coordinate with designated national authorities.
  9. Prevention. Take feasible action to reduce foreseeable harm. Safe land use, resilient construction and industrial maintenance reduce avoidable losses.
  10. Role of media. Communicate verified warnings, protective actions and recovery information. Protect privacy and avoid rumours, sensationalism and disclosure of vulnerable people’s identities.

Two distinctions that often cause confusion

Non-discrimination rejects unfair exclusion. Impartiality allocates help according to need. Giving additional evacuation support to a person who cannot walk is impartial assistance, not discrimination.

Neutrality means not taking sides in conflict; it does not mean refusing to help. Humanitarian assistance can actively protect people while remaining neutral.

Practice question. State and explain any three general ethical principles of disaster management. [3 practice marks]

Answer

  1. Non-discrimination. Assistance must not depend on caste, religion, gender or political affiliation. Registration and shelter access must be fair and accessible.
  2. Humanity. Protect life, health and human dignity. Provide water, shelter and urgent care while preventing humiliation or exploitation.
  3. Impartiality. Allocate assistance according to assessed need and urgency. A severely affected settlement may receive more resources than a less affected one.

Yaad rakho: Help together; treat fairly; protect dignity; co-operate; prevent harm; communicate responsibly.