key: cord-0036121-oofrmpw5
authors: Gunn, S. William A.
title: Part I Dictionary
date: 2012-08-02
journal: Dictionary of Disaster Medicine and Humanitarian Relief
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4445-9_1
sha: 64d61024962d61aaf1f847e5c89c9864667ba27d
doc_id: 36121
cord_uid: oofrmpw5

nan

slavery. Currently, it mainly aims at abolishing the death penalty and terminating other inequalities and injustices in human rights. A-bomb Sn: atom bomb, atomic bomb Cf. nuclear war, weapon of mass destruction Aborigine The indigenous or original living people (and fauna and fl ora) of a particular geographical region, before the arrival of colonists. In Australia and Canada, the designation of the original people of these countries. In Canada also called First Nations. Cf. absorption, acculturation, ethnic group, racial discri mination Abort Medicine: Premature delivery of a child. Miscarry. Fire fi ghting: To jettison a load of water or retardant from an aircraft -FAO. Management: To terminate prematurely an unsuccessful project or action. Abortion, unsafe The termination of an unintended pregnancy either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking the minimal medical standards, or both. The brunt of unsafe abortions occurs primarily in the developing world -WHO.

but also the aggressive menace of using force, as being incompatible with the principles of the United Nations.

Cf. aggressiveness, Kampala Conference, Briand-Kellogg Pact Aggressiveness A hostile position, act or threat, usually unprovoked, to establish dominance, induce fear or to protect territory, the family group or offspring. Aid Free material or fi nancial assistance or other support given to a needy organization, community or country, without expecting any gain. Sn: assistance, relief, help Cf. donor, humanitarian medicine, Paris Declaration AIDS/Aids Acronymic term given to acquired immunode fi ciency syndrome. Usually written in capital letters, less often as Aids. Caused by the HIV virus. Commonly referred to as HIV/AIDS. Sn: acquired immunode fi ciency syndrome Cf. immunode fi ciency, HIV virus Air mass thunderstorm Thunderstorm which arises within an unstable air mass and which is not caused by the passage of a front. Cf. thunder storm Air pollution Presence of considerable quantities of gaseous, liquid or solid contaminants in the atmosphere and liable to be harmful to animal, vegetable and human life. Cf. atmosphere, pollutant, contamination, atmospheric pollution ALARA/Alara Acronymic term for "As low as reasonably achievable", concerning the extent of needed interventions against the release of nuclear, chemical or other dangerous materials.

spearhead for the protection and promotion of all peoples' health and the foundation of the concept of Health For All. Cf. primary health care, Health for All Alternative technology Technology that, as an alternative to resource-intensive and wasteful industry, aims to utilize resources sparingly, with minimum damage to the environment, at affordable cost and with a possible degree of control over the processes. Cf. TCDC, appropriate technology, sustainable development, MDGs Altruism Regard and unsel fi sh consideration of others, humanitarian concern for the welfare of the needy, with willingness to help as a principle. Cf. humanitarian medicine, voluntary agency, pro bono Amelisap Acronymic term for Association des Médecins Libéraux Sapeurs-Pompiers. French association of volunteer physicians trained for and active in forest fi res, burns and disasters. Cf. forest fi res American College of Surgeons Largest and most prestigious professional organization of surgeons, devoted to the study, teaching, practice and ethics of surgery nationally and internationally. Has a special programme "Operation Giving Back" and awards for volunteerism and humanitarian work to strengthen surgery in the developing countries.

Cf. Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, essential surgery, humanitarian surgery American trypanosomiasis Sn: Chagas disease Cf. African trypanosomiasis, neglected tropical disease Amnesia Partial or complete loss of memory. Frequent in various degrees after a head injury or major accident. Amnesty An expression of goodwill, offering general pardon, reconciliation on humane grounds, while remaining uncompromising on breaches of human rights. Cf. Amnesty Inter national Amnesty International/AI An entirely independent and active international humanitarian movement that struggles for the liberation of prisoners of conscience, exposes breaches of human rights such as torture, disappearances, hostage taking, impunity and renders the world conscious of such persecutions. Respected and valuable actions that earned AI the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

Cf. amnesty, human rights, disappearances, prisoners of conscience, torture Amoebiasis A parasitic disease of the intestinal tract due to Entamoeba histolytica dysentery with occasionally liver complications. It is associated with hot climates, poor sanitation and faecal contamination of water. Disaster conditions, with overcrowding, increase the spread of amoebiasis. Also amebiasis. Cf. dysentery, enteric diseases Amplitude tidal range The difference between the height of the mean level and the maximum or minimum height of the water in the partial movement caused by the wave. Sn: tidal range Cf. tide, tidal scale Anaemia Diminution of the quantity of red cells and functional haemoglobin of the blood, which may be due to multiple causes: malaria, haemolysis, sickle cell anaemia, hookworms, bleeding, iron and other nutritional de fi cien cies. Widespread. A major problem in pregnant women. Also anemia. Anarchism From the Greek an = without, and archos = rule, the belief that society does not need rules or an organized State to function, which is considered harmful and must be abolished. Anchor point In fi re fi ghting, an advantageous point of a barrier from which a protective fi re line can be constructed, especially to reduce the hazard of being out fl anked by the fl ames. Angst Marked anxiety, despair, feeling of gloom. Common in disaster situations and in face of injustice. Animism A belief that objects, phenomena and happenings in nature, such as trees, gales, earthquakes, have a spirit, totem and conscious life. In some cultures and primitive beliefs, animism is used to explain natural disasters, catastrophes, disease, healing and other phenomena. Cf. natural disaster, traditional medicine, shamanism, totem. Ankylostomiasis A debilitating parasitic disease of the intestinal tract caused by two kinds of hookworm, especially prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. Gives pharyngeal and laryngeal manifestations and a major cause of anaemia. Spread by plantar exposure, it can be individually prevented by wearing shoes. Cf. enteric diseases Annual fl ood The annual peak discharge of water observed in one year. Answerable The liability of a person, community or state called to account; responsible for acts committed.

Antenatal Before birth; during gestation. Special clinics are conducted for the care of expectant mothers. Mother and child are particularly at risk in situations of disaster and poverty. Sn: prenatal Anthrax A contagious disease of animals caused by Bacillus anthracis , infrequently transmitted to man through contact, ingestion or inhalation. Infection renders immunity. Has been used as a biological weapon for terrorist purposes. Cf. zoonosis, biological warfare, bioterrorism Anthropic erosion Man-made land erosion caused or accelerated by excessive clearing or grazing, with destruction of the surface vegetation, which leads to the degradation of the upper layers of the soil. Cf. man-made disaster, erosion, deserti fi cation Antiballistic missile A military pilotless rocket-propelled projectile (missile) designed to intercept and destroy an incoming enemy ballistic missile or its warhead before it reaches its target. The antiballistic missile defence (ABM) Treaty of 1972 limited the deployment of antiballistic missiles and restricted their development. It distinguished between "strategic" or long-range missiles (prohibited) and "non-strategic" or short-range missiles (not prohibited). This Treaty terminated in 2002 when the Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty (SORT) came into force. To be reviewed in 2012. Sn: ABM Cf. strategic defence initiative, arms race, ballistic missile, star wars, SALT, START Antibody An immunoglobulin serum protein in the body that binds with a speci fi c antigen and confers protection against it. Cf. antigen, vaccination Anticyclone An atmospheric zone of relatively high pressure, normally characterized by fi ne weather and freak winds. It circulates clockwise in the northern and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. Cf. cyclone, atmospheric pressure, wind Antidote A chemical or medicine given to counter a speci fi c poisoning. Antigen Biological substance in the blood capable of stimulating the formation of protective antibodies. Cf. antibody, vaccination Antimissile shield A much disputed defensive/offensive plan of the United States envisaging the placement of a belt of long-range antimissile weaponry along the eastern borders of Europe.

Cf. star wars, START-II Apartheid An Afrikaans term introduced in 1929 to signify the separation of the black population of South Africa from the supposedly superior white population, based on the illegal and immoral racist concepts of supremacy, resulting in unlawful segregation, injustices, persecution and pauperization of the black people.

Abolished after the fall of the undemocratic racist regime. Cf. racism, segregation, human rights Apathy Absence of concern, indifference, lack of motivation. Such a temporary passive attitude is not rare among disaster victims. It can also be observed in groups for various reasons.

tion in 2010 caused severe disruption of aviation and of agriculture. Cf. ash Ash fl ow In volcanic eruptions, most of the gas-charged ash remains close to the ground and falls by gravity like foam. It is a form of nuée ardente. Can cause severe respiratory distress.

Cf. ash, lahar, tephra, nuée ardente, volcano Asia-Paci fi c Conferences on Disaster Medicine International professional group that studies, advises and promotes humanitarian health issues and emergency preparedness in the circum-Paci fi c countries which are highly disaster prone. Holds specialized conferences every two years, while its national counterparts, like the Japan Medical Team for Disaster Relief, are actively operational. Cf. disaster medicine, international assistance, Japan Medical Team for Disaster Relief Asphyxia Acute respiratory obstruction of air fl ow, with impairment of the oxygen supply to tissues due to reduced oxygen intake in the lungs, leading to imminent cell death. Cf. respiratory distress Assessment (of disaster) Survey of real or potential disaster to estimate the actual or expected damages and to make recommendations for preparedness, mitigation and relief action. Cf. damage assessment, rapid assessment protocol Assimilation 1. Biological: Trans formation of nutrients into cellular material by a living organism. 2. Social: Cf. absorption sustained power and governs and dictates without consideration of the people governed. Sn: dictatorship Cf. democracy, plutocracy Autopsy Post-mortem (after death) examination of a cadaver with the view to determining the cause and mode of death and identity of the body. Sn: necropsy Auxiliary health worker A community health assistant or health worker who is experienced but has less than full professional quali fi cations and needs supervision by quali fi ed personnel. Auxiliary power unit An electricity generating machine, supplementary to the normal power line, that can be used when the latter fails. Particularly useful in developing countries, fi rst aid tents and situations like refugee camps, where the supply of electricity may be unreliable. Avaaz A worldwide independent, nonpro fi t, humanitarian information campaign organization that works to ensure that the values, views and actions of the world's people inform and shape global decision-making in a just manner. Avalanche Sudden slide of a huge mass of snow and ice, usually carrying with it earth, rocks, trees and other debris. Average In marine insurance, means damage. Particular average is damage to the goods. General average: Expenses voluntarily incurred to save a ship and her cargo. Avian in fl uenza -H5N1 A highly contagious poultry (or other bird) disease due to the in fl uenza virus H5N1 that affected South East Asia in 2003, transmitted to humans with high case fatality.

Bactericide Chemical compound that kills bacteria and is used against infections.

Cf. pesticide, virucide Bag bomb Portable nuclear arm usually stolen or illegal. Also known as nuclear bag, Bombe valise. Ballistic missile A pilotless rocketpropelled projectile boosted into space and whose thrust can be terminated at a chosen time, after which its re-entry vehicle returns it to the earth's atmosphere. BM with a range of over 5,500 km is called intercontinental missile (e.g. ICBM) and under 500 km, a strategic missile.

Cf. antiballistic missile, ABM Treaty, arms race, START Barcelona Declaration Declaration made in 1995, emphasizing the role of diverse cultures in health, promotes dialogue between civilizations and traditions and encourages regional scienti fi c and technological exchanges as essential factors in improving understanding between people and health. Barefoot doctor In a developing country, a rural-level primary healthcare provider, usually chosen and culturally accepted by the community he or she lives in. System introduced in China during the Cultural Revolution. Cf. barehead doctor Barehead doctor In the rural areas of Thailand, Buddhist monks are trained to deliver simple, primary health care at low cost and according to the country's traditions. Cf. barefoot doctor Barrier Geography: In the polar regions, the mass of ice formed by the freezing of sea water. Cf. ice pack, pack ice Fire fi ghting: Any obstruction to the spread of fi re, usually a strip of land free from any combustible material. Cf. fi rebreak Bartonellosis An infectious disease endemic in the high valleys of the Andes, transmitted at night by the bite of insects. Sn: Oroya fever, verruga peruana Basal metabolic rate The minimal rate of energy production, representing the energy requirements of the body at rest. A measure of the function of the thyroid gland, which is very susceptible to radiation uptake. Sn: BMR Cf. calorie, goitre, Lugol's iodine Basel Accords Beginning in 1974 and reinforced in 2010, a series of fi nancial negotiations establishing international guidelines and rules on security of the world banking system to maintain suf fi cient shares and capital to cushion against eventual disastrous economic crises, like the one in 2008. Basel Convention International instrument operated by the United Nations Environment Programme to reduce transboundary movements of hazardous wastes, to minimize such material, to control their moves and incidents and to assist in environmental management in developing countries. Cf. chemical accident, environmental pollution, hazardous material, International Programme on Chemical Safety Basic health care The provision of the minimal, simpli fi ed essential health requirements in a low-income country, based on essential vaccination, essential medicaments and simple perinatal care, not necessarily integrated within the country's organized basic health services and socioeconomic needs. It should be distinguished from Primary Health Care. Cf. Primary Health Care, essential surgery Basic life support/BLS An advanced form of non-invasive fi rst aid to a person who is critically ill or has a severe injury in order to ensure the ABC of survival, i.e. Airway clearance, Breathing maintained and Circulation assured. These are the fi rst elements of cardiopulmonary resuscitation -Safar. Sn: BLS Cf. ABC, advanced life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, survival chain Basic societal functions In any given society, the signi fi cant functions that may affect -or be affected byactions and circumstances that may result in disorder, disaster, injustice or loss of human rights. Inter alia, these may include a country's legal structure, governance, security, education, economy, health and sanitation systems, water and shelter, public works, food, energy and communications, transport, distribution and level of social participation. Cf. biological warfare, biological weapons, chemical warfare, man-conceived disaster, bioterrorism, terrorism, CBW, weapons of mass destruction Biomass The total quantity of the living matter of organisms present in a given environment at a given time. It is expressed in volume, in mass (dry weight, fresh weight, decalci fi ed or not), in carbon, in calories per unit of volume or of surface. Sn: standing crop Biosphere The biotic environment of the earth where life can be maintained and supported by ecosystems, including the hydrosphere, the lower part of the atmosphere, the upper part of the ionosphere and, by extension, of the totality of living matter on earth.

Cf. ecosystem Bioterrorism Planning, threatening, using or spreading contagious disease organisms or toxin, e.g. botulism, anthrax, viruses, debilitating war gases, as a terrorist tool or weapon. Cf. terrorism, biological warfare, chemical warfare, man-conceived disaster, CBW Birth rate Ratio between the number of births during a given period and the total size of the population. Cf. death rate bit Acronym for BInary digiT. The smallest unit of information with which a digital computer works Black tide Cf. oil slick Bleaching powder Calcium hypochlorite Cf. chlorine BLEVE Acronymic name for boiling liquid expanded vapour explosion. The sudden rupture of a closed vessel system containing lique fi ed petroleum gas (LPG) fl ammable under intense pressure due to fl ame impingement, creating a blast wave, missile projectile damage and immediate ignition of the expanding fuel-air mixture leading to a disastrous fi reball. Examples: Los Alfaques in Spain, Mexico City. Cf. fi re, fi re hazard Blizzard Violent and very cold wind laden with snow, at least some part of which has been raised from snowcovered ground. Cf. wind, winter blizzard Blood bank A special section or part of a laboratory, usually in a hospital, which has the scienti fi c facilities to receive and store human blood and blood components from a blood centre -while often it may itself be the blood centre. It performs blood compatibility testing and provides blood and blood products to hospitals and transfusion centres. It may be called the transfusion laboratory. Blood diamonds The valuable and expensive stone, the diamond, that plays an important role in the economy and development of its producing countries is also used for illegal and unethical purposes such as purchasing arms, funding con fl icts, supplying armies, providing in fl uence, fomenting rebellions or fi nancing dictatorships, thus being referred to as blood diamonds or con fl ict diamonds. The Kimberley Process Certi fi cation Scheme was set up in 2003 by governments and the diamond industry to stop the illegal trade in rough diamonds that help buy in fl uence or pay rebel groups, civil wars and totalitarian régimes, mainly in Africa.

The term extends also to other precious metals and expensive products, such as blood copper or blood rubber. Sn: con fl ict diamonds Blood products Any therapeutic substance derived from human blood, including whole blood, plasma, plasma-derived products and labile blood components, used for medical purposes.

Boat people People who due to persecution, insecurity, poverty or any other reason fl ee a country by boat and seek security or asylum in another country. They are usually subjected to much suffering, disease, danger on the high seas, administrative complications or refusal to land. Cf. displaced persons, refugee, high seas Body mass index/BMI A measure of weight in relation to height. Calculated as weight in kg, divided by the square of height in metres. A BMI of less than 25 is considered normal, 25-30 is overweight, greater than 30 is obesity. Used in nutritional assessment.

Cf. obesity Body surface area/BSA Assessment of the burnt surface area of the body in a thermal injury. BSA is usually expressed in sections of 9% (the rule of 9) of the body area burnt. Less frequently, it is also expressed mathematically:

( ) ( Cf. disaster severity scales Brain death A traumatic condition in which electroencephalography reveals no cortical brain activity. A vegetative state in which the heart may continue beating. Breeder reactor A nuclear reactor facility which produces more fi ssile nuclei than it consumes.

Pact of 1928 that condemns the "recourse" to war for the "settlement" of international disputes as an instrument of national politics in international relations.

Scienti fi c and humanitarian institution established in 1984 at WHO by Grace B. Chisholm and S. William Gunn to honour the legacy of Dr. George Brock Chisholm of Canada, fi rst Director-General of the World Health Organization, and to perpetuate his ideals and vision of humanism, health, international understanding and peace. Subse quently, the Trust has been incorporated as the International Association for Humanitarian Medicine Brock Chisholm (IAHM). Cf. International Association for Humanitarian Medi cine, humanitarian medicine Brucellosis A febrile zoonotic disease caused by eating unpasteurized milk or dairy products from infected animals. Sn: Malta fever, Mediterranean fever, zoonosis Buffering The capacity of a society or community to protect itself from the damaging effects of a disaster, or to prepare itself to minimize the effects of an expected disaster. Cf. Attenuation.

In geopolitics, a smaller zone or country between two larger belligerent countries, diminishing the chances of hostilities. Building code(s) A series of governmental and professional regulations setting technical and functional standards for the built environment, especially concerning materials, structure, design, aesthetics, safety, salubrity and social welfare. Cf. built environment, retro fi tting Built environment Within the context of mainly exploitable land, any and all physical structures built by man, including houses, factories, roads, electric lines, satellite antennas, underground wires, communication tunnels, sewers, ports, dams, bridges, farmhouses or sheds, airports, railways, schools, recreation grounds, municipal structures, etc., as distinct from the natural environment. Cf. building codes Bulghur Boiled, dried and crushed wheat with outside bran removed, used for food. Total cooked whole wheat.

Cf. conventional food Burden of disease In the assessment of health levels or a health system, an indicator that quanti fi es losses of healthy life from disease and injury.

Double burden represents a large number of non-communicable diseases coinciding with large numbers of communicable diseases, malnutrition and maternal mortality. Cf. disability-adjusted life expectancy, disease surveillance, ten-ninety disequilibrium Burn Tissue damage of varying degrees caused by the heat produced from a thermal agent. Burns are classi fi ed according to the extent of body surface involved, according to the depth of tissue damage, or according to the cause, e.g. fl ame, steam, electric, chemical, lightning, nuclear radiation Cf. chemical burn, electrical burn, burn degree, burn extent, Euro-Mediterranean Council for Burns and Fire Disasters, thermal agent disaster Burn, chemical Cf. chemical burn Burn classi fi cation Cf. burn Burn, degrees On a burnt patient, three degrees of burns are distinguished, according to the depth of the burnt area, important in the healing process and treatment. First degree: damage limited to the outer super fi cial layer of the epidermis, with redness and pain, e.g. sunburn; 2nd: the burn extends through the epidermis down to dermis, but not entirely compromising the regeneration process; 3rd: full-thickness burn, killing the skin. These degrees concern the depth and not the extent of the area burnt. Cf. burn, burn rule of 9 Burn disaster The overall effect on living persons or animals, caused by massive burn action from a known thermal agent, characterized by a large number of immediate deaths and burnt patients and a high rate of secondary mortality and disability -Masellis. Cf. thermal agent disaster, burn, burn centre. Burn extent -Rule of 9 In a burned person, the body's surface area (BSA) that is burnt has great importance in the outcome of the injury and treatment. For practical calculations, the body is divided into areas, each representing 9% of its surface. Thus, the head represents 9%, an arm 9%, a leg 18%, the back 18%, etc. (This assessment -of surfaceis different from the degree of burn.) Cf. burn, burn degree, body surface area, thermal injury, Euro-Mediterranean Council for Burns and Fire Disasters Burns Centre Particular unit and facilities in a hospital for the specialized care for all aspects of severely burned patients, including surgical, reconstructive, nursing, medico-social, rehabilitative and other ancillary facilities for a large number of patients. It also promotes burns prevention in the community and collaborates closely with the authorities in fi re fi ghting and preparedness programmes. Cf. emergency medical services, fi res Burn out A state of physical and psychological exhaustion that a person presents in response to the heavy stress and dif fi culties of unrelenting performance expended or demanded in the individual's occupation. This is not uncommon among disaster responders who often work under most unfavourable and strenuous conditions. (2000), the fi rst such legally binding environmental instrument. It seeks to protect biological diversity from potential risks of genetically modi fi ed organisms (GMO), regulating their transboundary movements and maintaining biosafety centres. Cf. biodiversity, genetically modi fi ed organisms Cartel Politics: An understanding (usually secret) between political bodies, trade unions and other similar organizations with the view to more effective concerted action. Econo mics: A secret understanding or antisocial agreement (often criminal) between commercial or industrial bodies to ensure monopoly, domination of the market prices and high pro fi ts. Cf. Palermo protocol, ma fi a Carter Center A special section of the Jimmy Carter Foundation Presidential Library devoted to the advancement of human rights and humanitarian causes, alleviation of suffering, equity in governance and con fl ict resolution. Case fatality rate The calculation of the number of patients dying from a speci fi c disease, divided by the number of individuals developing that disease. It is usually expressed per 1,000 affected persons Cassava The root of two plants of the spurge or manioc family (bitter and sweet cassava), the fl our of which is used for bread and is an important source of food starch in many countries. Sn: manioc Cf. staple food Casualty Any victim of any emergency health situation, without specifying the gravity or nature of the emergency. May concern a sharp abdominal pain, a cut, burn, heart attack, fracture, fall, poisoning, drowning, fainting, shock, head injury or any other acute episode, minor, serious or lethal that has called for some attention and necessary care. Often in disaster statistics, the term is erroneously used for the seriously injured and dead. Cf. chemical burns. 2. Metallurgy: The gradual destruction or rusting of a metal or alloy due to oxidation and action of chemicals, causing weakness and metal fatigue that may result in equipment failure or building collapse. Corruption Morally contemptible, unethical and socially unacceptable acts by commission or omission with the view to illegally obtaining and amassing, property, position, favours, false statements, advancement and wealth, mainly by extortion, coercion and undemocratic ways, in exchange of bribes, power, promotion, money, personal favours, threats and unlawful actions. Very unfortunately, such condemnable acts are common and institutionalized in some countries or governments that have no concern for the real needs of their people and constitute causes of poverty and underdevelopment. Cf. kleptocracy, deontology, ethics, Transparency International, man-conceived disaster Cosmic radiation Beams of very high energy particles (protons, alpha particles and certain heavier nuclei) of solar, galactic or extragalactic origin.

Cf. ionizing radiation Cost-bene fi t Cf. cost-bene fi t analysis Cost-bene fi t analysis 1. Study of the various elements of a situation in order to determine the feasibility of an aid or action 2. Methods to compare alternatives of the price ( warning Meteorological message intended to warn the population concerned of the existence or approach of a cyclone. It may be accompanied by advice on protective measures to take. Cyclonic rain In the classi fi cation of rainfall, it denotes a violent heavy and continuous rain whose minimal intensity is rarely below 5-10 mm/h. The two other classes are "orographic" and "convective" rain. Cysticercosis An intestinal helminth infection caused by the larvae (cysticerci) of Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) which also attacks the muscles. where: P is the probability, D is the damage or disaster ; P D is the probability that an event will in fl ict damage on the society or environment at risk; H is hazard; R H is the probability (risk) that this hazard will be converted into an event; f is a function of the relationship between all the variables contained within and between the brackets; P H is the probability of an event occurring that may result in damage;

H man is the human component responsible for the hazard to exist; H nat is hazard as given by nature; V is vulnerability; V nat is the natural vulnerability; a is the sum of the actions before an event occurs; a 1 is the augmentation of vulnerability; a 2 is mitigation of vulnerability; b is the sum of the actions taken during or after an event occurs; b 1 is counterproductive disaster response; b 2 is the productive, alleviatory disaster response.

(The term f for function must be considered as a generic mathematical entity, not meant as a quantitative statement.)

The ultimate objective of disaster management is to bring the probability that damage will occur ( P D ) as close to zero as possible -WADEM. Cf. damage assessment, damage forecasting, dam age mitigation, human failure, Utstein, WADEM De facto refugee A term used for two categories of persons: (a) Persons who ful fi l the requirements of a refugee de fi nition but who, for various reasons, such as a procedural delay in submitting the application within a speci fi ed time, have not been registered as refugees. (b) Persons who cannot prove a justi fi ed fear of persecution within the meaning of refugee de fi nition, but who are considered, on similar grounds, to have valid reasons for not wishing to return to their country of origin.

Cf. refugee De jure refugee Sn: statutory refugee ;

Cf. refugee Death rate The ratio between the number of deaths in a given time and the total number of the population. ; Sn: mortality rate Debris fl ow A fl ow of dense concentration of mud, rocks, trees, construction remains and refuse, carried downwards.

Cf. mud fl ow Decedent Person who has died. A dead individual. Deck cargo In transport and shipping, under deck cargo means goods stowed inside the holds of a vessel; on deck cargo means goods stowed above the holds "on deck", on the vessel, mostly because of their hazardous nature. On deck cargo will be the fi rst to be jettisoned in case of emergency. Deck goods are always carried without any acceptance of responsibility by the carrier. Declaration of disaster Of fi cial announcement made by the competent authorities declaring a state of emergency in the wake of a disaster and the need for special measures to cope with it. Certain donor countries and organizations cannot provide assistance unless a disaster has been of fi cially declared by the stricken country and aid requested. Cf. request for disaster assistance Decontamination Bacteriology: Reducing the microbial presence and infection capacity to a safe level. ; Nuclear: In the context of radiation contamination, all the physical and other measures taken to reduce radiation activity in terms of physical quantity, activity of waste and the radionuclide content.

De fi brillator A device that sends a strong electric charge to the myocardium, thus stimulating conduction tissue and restoring regular sinus rhythm to a heart in fi brillation or that has ceased to beat -Last. De fi ciency disease A general term that denotes physiological dysfunction due to the lack or insuf fi ciency of a number of factors needed to ensure health and well-being. It may be due to lack of nutritional factors (nutritional de fi ciency, protein energy de fi ciency, vitamin de fi ciency), biological (iron de fi ciency, iodine de fi ciency), immunological de fi ciency (genetic or acquired), etc.

When not speci fi ed and especially in disaster situations, the term usually denotes nutritional de fi ciency. of measures to be taken in view of disasters, consisting of plans and action programmes designed to minimize loss of life and damage, to organize and facilitate effective rescue and relief and to rehabilitate after disaster. Preparedness requires the necessary legislation and means to cope with disaster or similar emergency situations. It is also concerned with forecasting and warning, the education and training of the public, organization and management, including plans, training of personnel, the stockpiling of supplies and ensuring the needed funds, personnel and other resources. Cf. emergency, relief, supplies Disaster prevention The aggregate of approaches and measures to ensure that human action or natural phenomena do not cause or result in disaster or similar emergency. It implies the formulation and implementation of long-range policies and programmes to eliminate or prevent the occurrence of disasters. Based on vulnerability analysis of risks, it also includes legislation and regulatory measures in the fi eld of town planning, public works, environmental development and public awareness. Disaster probability formula Cf. damage probability formula Disaster reduction All decisions, actions, standards (preparedness, prevention) , taken prior to relevant responses provided after a disaster, with the view to minimizing (mitigation) the damaging effects of a disaster. Cf. disaster management, disaster preparedness, disaster prevention, disaster mitigation Disaster Relief Code of Conduct A Code of Conduct introduced in 1994 by the Red Cross and several NGOs to establish self-regulation and standards in the provision of humanitarian aid. They stipulate that (1) the humanitarian imperative comes fi rst, (2) aid is given without conditions and priorities are set on the basis of needs alone, (3) aid will not be used for political or religious purposes, (4) aid workers will not be instruments of government policy, (5) the culture and customs of the victims will be respected, (6) disaster workers will favour local capacities and UN participation, (7) programme bene fi ciaries will be included in relief management, (8) aid must meet basic needs and future vulnerabilities, (9) relief workers will stand accountable both to the aid recipients and to donors and (10) in all press and promotions, the dignity of the victims must be assured as human beings -G-IDNDR. Cf. ionizing radiation, proton Elements at risk The population, buildings and civil engineering works, economic activities, public services and infrastructure, etc., at risk in a given area -UN. Cf. risk, risk indicator, risk map, speci fi c risk eLENA e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (WHO). Strives to clarify electronically the vast and often con fl icting evidence, information and advice that exist on effective, preventive and therapeutic nutrition interventions. Emaciation The exhaustion of essential cellular elements, mainly in muscle and adipose tissue, following privation of food and often associated with infections and debilitating illnesses. Embargo An order forbidding certain activities, often accompanied with certain penalties or sanctions in case of non-compliance. Article 41, Chapter VII of the UN charter provides for embargoes on a country that may pose a threat to peace, a breakdown of peace or an act of aggression, e.g. Iraq against Kuwait. Usually goods considered humanitarian, such as food and medicine, may be exempted.

In journalism, an embargo is a request not to publish a certain declaration or news item before a speci fi ed date. Emergency A sudden and usually unforeseen event that must be countered immediately to minimize the consequences. If the event is major, the term disaster is often used. With rational planning, emergencies can be tackled with less "surprise" and more effectively. Emergency Events Data base EM-DAT, a compilation created by CRED that gives direct access statistics through its website. Has information on natural disasters from 1990 onwards.

Cf. CE-DAT, Centre for Research in Epidemiology of Disasters Emergency feeding Distribution of food to communities, families and individuals who are cut off from their normal food supplies or are unable to prepare their own food as a result of a natural or man-made disaster such as famine, fl ood, earthquake, war. Cf. famine, food, food relief, relief, supplies Emergency health kit Basic drugs and medical equipment calculated for the emergency needs of a population of 10,000 persons over three months. One pre-packaged kit contains 10 identical smaller kits, each for 1,000 persons. Cf. environmental health, environmental pollution, public health Environmental impact Cf. environmental change Environmental impact assessment Investigation of the eventual positive or negative effect of any new factor on a given environment and its ecological equilibrium. Sn: EIA Cf. environmental change Environmental pollution Unfavourable changes and degradation of one or more aspects or elements of the environment by noxious biological, industrial, chemical or radioactive wastes, from debris of man-made, especially non-biodegradable products and from mismanagement and inconsiderate use of ecological resources. Sn: environmental degradation Cf. air pollution, atmospheric pollution, environment, environmental disruption, environmental refugee, man-made disaster, oil pollution, oil slick Environmental refugees(s) People who have been forced to leave their original habitat, temporarily or permanently, because of marked disruption of the environment through natural or man-made causes that jeopardized their existence and/or seriously affected the quality of their lives -UNEP. There are broadly three categories of environmental refugees: (1) people who have been temporarily displaced because of environmental stress and who return when the disruption is over, (2) people who become permanently displaced and must resettle in a new area because of permanent changes in their original habitat, such as the establishment of huge dams and (3) individuals or groups of people who emigrate internally or abroad, temporarily or permanently, in search of a better quality of life, e.g. leaving a drought-hit area for more fertile land. Cf. environment, environmental disruption, refugee, economic refugee Environmental sustainability index A scale from 0 to 100 that rates the environmental performance of a country or region, based on the total scores of about 60 variables covering the following fi ve categories: (a) human vulnerability to environment, e.g. disease and available potable water, (b) social institutional capacity, e.g.

to respond to or promote environmental issues, (c) societal stresses on the environment, e.g. pollution, urbanization, (d) global conscience, e.g. the community's efforts to diminish global warming, and (e) level of environmental facilities, e.g. water quality systems. Sn: ESI Cf. environment, sustainable development Epidemic 1. An unusual increase in the number of cases of an infectious or parasitic disease which already exists in an endemic state in the region or population concerned. 2. The appearance of a more or less important number of cases of an infectious disease introduced in a region or population that is usually free from that disease. Cf. communicable disease, endemic, pandemic, infectious disease, potential epidemic, threatened epidemic Epidemic/pandemic alerts Cf. WHO epidemic alert degrees, potential epidemic, threatened epidemic Epidemiology The medical discipline that studies the in fl uence of such factors as the lifestyle, biological constitution and other personal or social determinants on the incidence and distribution of disease. Cf. disaster medicine, disaster epidemiology Epizootic disease Affecting simultaneously many animals of the same kind in the same region and rapidly spreading. Also refers to an extensive outbreak of an epizootic disease. Examples: mad cow disease, rabies. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE -Organisation Internationale des Epizooties) is concerned with these problems. Evacuation An operation to clear a region of its inhabitants, generally under threat (e.g. con fl ict) or following a disaster. Cf. disaster, evacuee, prevention Evacuee A person temporarily displaced from one place to another, within the same area or another country, to safeguard his health and security. Cf. evacuation, displaced person Evaluation The process of determining the worth or signi fi cance of an activity or programme; an assessment as systematic and objective as possible, of a planned, ongoing or completed intervention -OECD. Evaluation of disaster Detailed postimpact assessment of the disaster situation taking into account all aspects of the damage, including the physical site, built structures, disrupted social system, remaining health facilities, shelter, water supplies, food availability, mortality, communications, transport, disposal of the dead. Evaluation also points to the remaining needs and facilities for immediate reconstruction. Evidence-based medicine The practice of medicine and the assessment of its ef fi cacy based on criteria of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and comparative methods of scientifi cally proven evidence, with the goal of providing the best possible management of health and disease in the patient. Excision (in genital mutilation) In female genital mutilation, the practice of ablating the prepuce and hood of the clitoris and the labia minora. Sn: clitoridectomy Cf. female genital mutilation, in fi bulation, introcision Cf. glowing cloud, ash fall Fallout In radioactivity: The deposition of radioactive materials in the atmosphere and on the earth. Such radioactivity in the atmosphere may arise from natural causes, from nuclear bomb explosions or from atomic reactor accidents inducing radioactivity and fi ssion products. Nuclear cloud is the deposition of nuclear material in the atmosphere, where it may move according to the winds or may be precipitated to earth with rain.

Global fallout is the deposition on the ground of radioactivity from a nuclear weapon exploded in the stratosphere.

Intermediate fallout is the deposition on the ground of radioactivity from a nuclear weapon exploded in the troposphere. Local fallout is the deposition of radioactivity from a nuclear weapon, downwind at ground level, during the fi rst 24 h after explosion on the ground. Sn: radioactive fallout Cf. ionizing radiation, nuclear war, nuclear winter, environmental refugee Far-fi eld In a nuclear incident, designates the area away from the immediately involved ground or zero zone ("near-fi eld") and considered less dangerous but still bearing the contamination and damaging effects of the accident. Cf. near-fi eld, nuclear accident, ground zero, zone zero FARC Hispano-American acronym for Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, the anti-government rebel political movement that controls a part of Colombia and is an important illicit base of coca production and cocaine traf fi cking that constitute a regional security problem. Flammable/Flammability The characteristic and degree of ease with which any material will burn. Sn: in fl ammable (attention, in UK English, fl ammable and in fl ammable are synonymous. As the latterin fl ammable -may erroneously give the idea of non-fl ammable, it is safer to use the US term fl ammable rather than in fl ammable.) Flash fl ood A local fl ood of sudden rise and short duration with great volume that causes inundation, generally due to very heavy rainfall in the vicinity. Cf. precipitations, swell Floating barrier A portable, in fl atable device placed as an emergency on the surface of a water mass where oil spill has occurred, with the aim of controlling and barring the spread and aspirating the oil to limit further environmental pollution. Sn: fl oating barrage, isolator, oil boom Cf. environmental pollution, oil slick Flood Over fl ow of areas which are not normally submerged, with water or stream that has broken its normal con fi nes, and/or accumulated due to lack of drainage. Flood control The management of water resources and prevention of accidents through construction of reservoirs, dams, embankments, diversion channels, etc., to avoid fl oods. Flood tide Sn: rising tide Floodplain An area adjacent to a river, formed by the repeated over fl ow of the natural channel bed -OFDA. Cf. fl ood, precipitations, zoning Floodway A bypass channel built from an upstream point in order to divert the fl ooding waters downstream in a controlled way. Gender In humans, generally refers to the masculine or feminine sex. In society, however, gender refers to the socially established sex roles, values, attributes, customs and expectations that society ascribes to one or the other sex in the community. There should be no gender discrimination. Cf. gender mainstreaming Gender mainstreaming The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and social spheres so that women and men bene fi t equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate aim is to achieve gender equality -ECOSOC. Generic drug Non-proprietary medicament prescribed and sold under its chemical name rather than a trade brand name. Usually cheaper than a proprietary mark. Genetic effects/aberration Abnormal changes in the germ cells caused by toxic pollutants or radiation. Sn: chromosomal aberration Cf. Chernobyl, chromosome, radioactive contamination, Seveso, technological disaster, thalidomide Genetics The fi eld of biological science that deals with the phenomena and mechanisms of heredity. Genetic problems may occur following toxic and radioactive disasters.

Cf. radioactive contamination, technological disaster.

The body of international agreements consisting of four Conventions (1949) and two Additional Protocols (1977), concerning humanitarian treatment of victims of armed con fl ict and put under the responsibility of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The fi rst Protocol regulates the care of the wounded and sick soldiers on the battle fi eld; the second is about the care of the wounded, sick and shipwrecked in naval warfare; the third on the treatment of prisoners of war and the fourth on the protection of civilians in time of war. Additional Protocols I and II ensure more humane consideration not only in international con fl icts but also in national strife, such as the treatment of guerrilla fi ghters. science that seeks to de fi ne the shape of the earth and that determines the areas and different points on the earth's topographic surface in relation to a reference system. Cf. topography Geographic information systems Traditional maps and more elaborate computer programmes that re fl ect relevant data and analyses on a part of the earth that is being investigated for communication and disaster management purposes. Sn: GIS Geographic longitude Angular distance of any point on the earth's surface, longitudinal lines east or west of a standard meridian (0 °) situated at Greenwich. Sn: longitude, terrestrial longitude Cf. latitude Geological hazard(s) Earth movements or unstable natural land phenomena that may constitute a risk or cause damage to property, the built environment, the socioeconomic fabric or injury and death. Geomorphology The science concerned with the earth's surface and the evolution of the globe's relief features.

Originally a restricted area in fi fteenth-century Venice, it now denotes an unpopular, circumscribed slum or poor section in a city. Ghettoization is the forceful con fi ning of a minority group into a designated area. Cf. slum, favela, discrimination Glasgow coma scale/GCS Coma is unconsciousness. The scale is a practical means of assessing changes in the level of responsiveness in the unconscious, comatose or severely injured person. Three systems are monitored; in the eye, the result may be (a) no response, (b) response to pain, (c) to verbal command, (d) opens eye spontaneously. The total score for a positive degree of consciousness is between 3 and 15. Cf. trauma score Glasnost Russian word for transparency. An attempt to reform and democratize the secretive Soviet regime towards the end of its reign. Cf. transparency, Transparency International Glasshouse effect In addition to natural heat release from the earth into the atmosphere, there is increasing industrial, man-made heat production (combustion of coal, petroleum and natural gas) releasing the gas carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the atmosphere. While CO 2 is essentially transparent to incoming solar energy, it is not transparent to re-radiated energy emitted by the earth itself. Thus, a heating process referred to as the "glasshouse" or "hothouse" effect is produced, with wide-scale environmental consequences. Cf. sustainability Health system A system that consists of organizations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore and maintain health, with the goals of improving health and health equity in ways that are responsive, fi nancially fair and make the best or most ef fi cient use of available resources -WHO. Health transition In a given population, variations in the underlying causes of disease and death that stem from changes in the interrelated elements of demographic structure, epidemiological patterns, geographic changes and transition risk factors. Health workers All persons engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance health -WHO. Heat illness Exposure to high temperatures can cause heat-related illness in the form of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, exertional heat sickness, skin injury due to extreme sunburn, etc. Heat illness occurs when the body generates, or is exposed to, more heat than it can dissipate. Cf. genocide, human rights, man-conceived disaster Homosexuality The biological sex instinct normally induces attraction and attachment between man and woman (heterosexual). A small minority feel differently, to a person of the same sex (homosexual) or to either sex (bisexual). The usual term for men is "gay" and for women is "lesbian". These should not be discriminated against. Hookworm Sn: ankylostomiasis Horizontal transmission Disease transmission from one person to another in the same generation, as opposed to transmission from one generation to another, e.g. HIV transmission from mother to baby. Hospice A well-intentioned institution or other facility that provides palliative care for the incurably sick, terminally ill or the dying. Hospital capacity (in mass casualty situation) In a mass casualty situation, with many patients arriving at the same time, the theoretical capacity of a hospital would be its ability to admit or manage a number of victims amounting to approximately 20% of its normal bed capacity. Cf. mass casualty situation, casualty Hospitalization in disasters Cf. mass casualty situation Host country Country or its government where a refugee, asylum seeker or disaster victim is accepted and receives humanitarian assistance. Hostage Person abducted by force and held against his will, usually for political pressure or monetary gain. increasing the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance and making humanitarian agencies more accountable in disaster response. The Charter af fi rms the fundamental importance of (a) the right to life with dignity, (b) distinction between combatants and noncombatants and (c) the principle of non-refoulement. The Standards also set minimal (but not exclusive) requirements for (a) water supply and sanitation, (b) nutrition, (c) food aid, Used also prophylactically against nuclear radioactivity. Cf. Lugol's iodine, goitre, thyroid, nuclear accident Iodine-131 Radioactive iodine. Following a nuclear accident or atomic explosion, the released radioactive isotope risks to be absorbed by the thyroid, or be dissolved in water, with serious biological consequences in man. The administration of stable iodine can prevent such absorption and is used prophylactically. Cf. Lugol's iodine, iodine Ion An originally neutral atom which has become electrically charged by losing or acquiring electrons. Loss of an electron results in a positive ion (cation) and acquisition in a negative ion (anion). Cf. ionizing radiation, ionosphere Ionizing radiation Any electromagnetic radiation that, when passing through matter, can produce ions. Includes X-rays, alpha-beta-gamma rays, neutrons, protons. Cf. ion, cosmic radiation, radiation injury, kerma Ionosphere The zone of the atmosphere, from about 70 km to 500 km, in which charged particles, ions and electrons are formed by photoionization under the effect of the sun's radiation. Ionospheric sounding Determination of the vertical pro fi le of the electronic density of the ionosphere, by measuring the echo of multiple frequency radioelectric signals. Cf. ionosphere, meteorological sounding, sounding the same year, the fi rst Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology was awarded to Wilhelm Röntgen for his work on X-rays. The Peace Prize has also been awarded to the United Nations and its Secretary-General Ko fi Annan in recognition of humanitarian services in favour of world peace and to Pugwash and its President Joseph Rotblat for their efforts against nuclear war. Cf. Red Cross, Pugwash Nomad The traditional way of life in certain rural people who do not live continually in the same area but move cyclically or periodically, usually in search of grazing or hunting grounds and watering places, or fi nancial opportunities, and who are well adapted to their changing environment.

There are also ethnically nomad groups, such as Romanies, Sintis, Gypsies, Tziganes.

Cf. migration, population mobility, Tziganes, Roma, gypsies Non-governmental organization (NGO) A private, civil society, international, not governmental organization (as distinct from an intergovernmental or governmental organization), constituted as a single association or as a federation of various national organizations, without governmental or state ties. The most important NGOs are given consultative status with the United Nations or its specialized agencies and are active in disasters, civil society services and humanitarian aid. Examples: MSF, International Association for Humanitarian Medicine, Medicus Mundi, AI. Cf. civil society, voluntary agency, non-state health actors Non-international armed con fl ict Cf.

civil war Non-refoulement Cf. principle of nonrefoulement Non-state health actors Long time the prerogative of Ministries of Health and major intergovernmental organizations, health is becoming increasingly the subject of interest and intervention at higher non-governmental, non-state levels. Quite distinct from the very useful traditional inputs of a multitude of NGOs, powerful, wealthy, knowledgeable and well-informed non-state institutions, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the Bill Clinton Foundation and others, are becoming indispensable health actors. Non-structural elements In a building, those parts of the construction (e.g. partitions, ceilings) that are not components of the load-bearing system. Strict construction codes regulate the necessary requirements for structural elements, e.g. for earthquake resistance. Non-tropical cyclone Sn: depression Non-violence A personal belief and posture that war is a bad and wrong thing and that progress and freedom can be achieved and maintained without resorting to violent action, whether at the personal or national level. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela have proven this. Also written non violence. Cf. war, violence North Atlantic Treaty Organization/ NATO Commonly referred to as NATO, an alliance established in accordance with the United Nations Charter, to ensure security through defensive, political, military and scienti fi c ties among its members. Cf. European Union, United Nations, OSCE North-South A theoretical, arti fi cial division of the globe into North, representing the developed, more af fl uent, technologically advanced, fi nancially rich, healthy, educated and stable countries, and South, with developing, poor, indebted, technologically retarded countries where mortality is high, health levels low and education de fi cient. The gap between north and south is disastrous. Cf. development Nosocomial infection An infection or disease acquired during a stay in hospital.

Cf. iatrogenic disease Note verbale A diplomatic note, which is in fact not verbal but written, exchanged between diplomatic missions and intergovernmental organizations. Most commonly, it is used by the diplomatic representative resident in a country with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the host country. It is customarily written in the third person. Cf. protocol Noti fi able disease A disease that by law or decree must be reported to a government health authority. Nuclear accident Unintentional, accidental release of radiation or radioactive material in or around a civil nuclear facility, exceeding the internationally set safety levels.

A less severe of such event is referred to as a nuclear incident. Cf. radiation injury, radiation protection, radioactive decontamination, Chernobyl Nuclear activity The number of spontaneous nuclear disintegrations within a radionuclide at any given time. The old unit of activity, the curie (Ci) has been replaced by the becquerel (Bq). Cf. becquerel Nuclear cloud Sn: radioactive cloud Cf. fallout Nuclear energy Energy liberated in nuclear reactions, especially in fi ssion or fusion reactions. Nuclear fallout Sn: radioactive fallout Cf. fallout Nuclear famine The climatic consequences of nuclear war would create abrupt global cooling, with alteration of precipitation patterns, radioactive contamination and major crop failures, leading to global famine, starvation, exposure to cold weather, major epidemics and social violence. Cf. nuclear war, nuclear winter, GLAWARS Nuclear fuel Material containing fi ssile nuclides which when placed in a reactor enables a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction to be achieved. Cf. fi ssile uranium Nuclear hazard(s) Radioactive material is potentially hazardous, both as a military nuclear weapon (atomic war, e.g. Hiroshima) and in civilian activities (e.g. Chernobyl). A peacetime nuclear plant has the following potentials for disaster: a meltdown and disintegration, releasing massive amounts of radioactivity (Chernobyl); ef fl uent leaks from plant weaknesses; radioactive waste accumulation, as no safe disposal exists; plutonium production, which is a hazard and raw material for atomic bomb production; radioactive release into the atmosphere and environment, with absorption into food, inhalation and ingestion.

Cf. Chernobyl, Fukushima, Three Mile Island, fallout, plutonium, nuclear reprocessing Nuclear incident Cf. nuclear accident Nuclear meltdown Cf. meltdown, nuclear accident Nuclear nomads hazard A nondescript mass of nuclear personnel who, quite distinct from the highly specialized established scientists, represent a non-organized body of less trained but needed, mobile seasonal employees such as electricians, plumbers, solderers, underwater workers, etc., who move uncontrolled from one nuclear facility to another as jobs open up, in the meantime constituting a potential nuclear hazard. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty/ NPT Treaty formulated in 1970 to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons, to foster peaceful nuclear cooperation under safeguards, to encourage ending the nuclear arms race, non-nuclear states not to produce arms and to aspire to complete nuclear disarmament. Cf. SALT, START Nuclear power station Cf. reactor Nuclear radiation effects 1. Genetic: Change of hereditary character caused by ionizing radiation. 2. Somatic: Effects of radiation that appear in the lifetime of an exposed subject.

Cf. radioactive contamination Nuclear reaction Disintegration and change in the nucleus of an atom induced by bombarding it with a radioactive particle, with liberation of energy. Cf. nuclear activity Nuclear reactor An industrial system for generating heat and electricity from nuclear power by controlled fi ssion of uranium-235 ( fi ssion reaction) or by the fusion of light atoms (fusion reaction). Generally intended for peaceful, civilian uses of nuclear energy, but accidents, e.g. Chernobyl, Fukushima, can be a disaster with immediate and long-lasting effects. Sn: nuclear power plant, atomic reactor, atomic power plant CF. Chernobyl, Fukushima, Three Mile Island, International Atomic Energy Agency, nuclear accident Nuclear reactor dismantling/decommissioning Dismantling means planned total structural demolition and stoppage of a facility. Decommissioning is discontinuing the services of a facility. For nuclear reactors, either action is risky, dangerous and dif fi cult. Following the Fukushima disaster of 2011, several countries have decided to discontinue the use of nuclear power and are proceeding to staged decommissioning and dismantling (deconstruction) of their reactors. At every stage, there are risks, and even after total clearance, radioactivity persists. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is specialized in dismantling. The French Superphenix was stopped in 1997 and full deconstruction will not be completed before 2028. Cf. Fukushima, Fukushima effect, nuclear accident, reactor Nuclear reprocessing Reprocessing is the chemical separation of plutonium and unburnt uranium -and to a lesser extent caesium and other radioactive isotopes -from the spent fuel rods of a nuclear reactor. The process creates large amounts of radioactive waste in three forms: (a) gaseous, with radioactivity in the environment, (b) solids in earth dumps and (c) marine discharges, all highly dangerous for generations to come. Cf. nuclear hazards, uranium, Sella fi eld, Basel Convention, La Hague, International Atomic Energy Agency. Nuclear safety All decisions and measures taken to protect workers, people and property from the harmful effects of radiation contamination, exposure to ionizing radiation and nuclear criticality. Cf. radioactive decontamination, International Atomic Energy Agency, sustainable elimination Nuclear war War in which nuclear weapons -as opposed to conventional explosive devices -are used. Like conventional bombs, nuclear weapons produce extensive blast and fi re damage, but to an in fi nitely higher degree. Furthermore, the immediate power of a nuclear explosion is increased by the following factors: intense radiation at the time of the explosion, lasting for about one minute; intense heat and light from the fi reball, lasting a few seconds; local radioactive fallout and a strong electromagnetic radiation. Later effects add to the devastation. The nuclear bomb used on Nagasaki was 2,200 times more powerful than the largest conventional weapon used in World War II. Sn: atomic war Cf. atomic bomb, fi ssion bomb, fusion bomb, hydrogen bomb, NPT, START, electromagnetic pulse, nuclear winter, nuclear weapon, zero option Nuclear waste Cf. waste, nuclear reprocessing, Sella fi eld, La Hague Nuclear weapon Generic term for any weapon based on nuclear explosion. The atom bomb is a nuclear weapon that derives its energy from fi ssion of heavy elements, mainly uranium or plutonium; the hydrogen bomb derives its energy mainly from fusion. Cf. atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, weapons of mass destruction Nuclear winter A term that describes the very damaging climatic and environmental situation likely to result from reduced sunlight and lowered temperatures following nuclear war. Cf. fi restorm, mushroom cloud, nuclear war, nuclear famine, GLAWARS Nuée ardente Sn: glowing cloud Nuremberg Charter/Law -International crimes In 1945, the Charter identi fi ed three classes of international crimes: crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity. Established the legal basis of international crimes committed by individuals or groups. Cf. Nuremberg Code/medical Nuremberg Code Following the 1947 trials of the Nazi war criminals, along with other international ethical prescriptions, a code of ethical conduct in medicine was also established, dealing in particular with research involving humans. Ten standards are laid down to which physicians must conform. The Code stipulates that "the voluntary consent of the subject is absolutely essential". This has now extended beyond research and is valid for all interventions in humans.

Cf. Helsinki Declaration, informed consent, consent Nutrient Any and all of the organic compounds and mineral salts contained in foods and water which are utilized in the normal metabolism of the body and play a speci fi c role in nutrition and growth. All nutrients consist of a combination of (a) macronutrients that produce energy: proteins, fats, carbohydrates and (b) micronutrients: vitamins and minerals essential to life. In poorer developing countries, carbohydrates are the main source of energy (80%) and fats (8-10%). Micronutrient de fi ciency concerns some two billion people -WFP. Cf. food, nutrition Nutrition 1. The function of assimilation and metabolism whereby living organisms utilize food for maintenance of life. 2. In public health, the discipline that deals with the interactions of food, health, disease and the improvement of health standards through 

Overweight. Abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that presents a health risk. One measure is the body mass index (BMI). A person with a BMI equal to or more than 30 is obese, BMI equal to or more than 25 is overweight and above 40 is pathological. All are risk factors. Obesity is a danger not only in af fl uent circles but also in disaster situations and refugee camps due to the wrong nutrition. Cf. malnutrition, body mass index Objective The end result that a programme or an aim seeks to achieve. For example, the objective of community education for disaster preparedness can be de fi ned as ensuring that people in risk areas will want to be less vulnerable, know how to act in case of disaster, do what they can individually and collectively at the time of emergency and do the necessary before the emergency so that they can be prepared for it. Cf. goal, plan, target, MDGs

Obninsk The Hospital at Obninsk, near Moscow, that continues to receive and treat great numbers of direct, indirect and distant victims of radiation since 1986 from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Cf. Chernobyl, radiation injury, thyroid Ocean wave A wave system generated by winds at some distance from the coast over a wide area, with little change in its characteristics. Cf. seismic sea wave, storm wave, swell, tsunami Oceanic Describes the marine area beyond the coast, generally situated away from the continental margin. Oceanic ridge Submarine elevation along several thousand kilometres, with deep reliefs resulting from the rising of the crust. Cf. ridge, submarine ridge Oceanology The exploration and scienti fi c study of the oceans and the seas (oceanography) and the techniques of protection and management of marine sources. Cf. diarrhoea, oral rehydration salts, dehydration Oral rehydration salts (ORS) Convenient and effective means of providing fl uids and electrolytes to a dehydrated person. The proven WHO/UNICEF formula of ORS comes in 27,5 g sachets, as follows: Sodium chloride (common salt) 3.5 g Glucose 20.0 g Sodium bicarbonate 2.5 g Potassium chloride 1.5 g To be diluted in 1 l of clean drinking water. Sn: ORS Cf. diarrhoea, oral rehydration, dehydration Orderly departure 1. Organized displacement or departure of refugees or victims of a disaster. 2. The UNHCR programme for orderly departure is based on a memorandum of understanding concluded by the HCR and the government concerned, establishing the procedures for the departure of the refugee who possesses an exit visa from the country and a resettlement guarantee from the host country.

Cf. refugee Organization of activities In refugee or displaced communities, the planning and organization of time for productive and educational purposes, besides recuperation and recreational (leisure) activities.

Cf. organization of leisure Organization of leisure Planning and implementation of recreational activities within a social and environmental programme.

Cf. organization of activities Organized crime Cf. Palermo Convention Against Organized Crime Oroya fever Sn: bartonellosis Orphan diseases/Orphan drugs Diseases that are rare and of low prevalence, attracting little attention and neglected by the scienti fi c and medical communities, by the authorities and by the pharmaceutical industry. There are currently an estimated 6,000 such orphan or rare diseases. Because of their rarity and little fi nancial pro fi tability, the health industry also remains disinterested, thus resulting in orphan drugs. Somewhat akin to but not to be confused with forgotten diseases. Cf. ma fi a, disappearances, man-conceived disaster, narcotraf fi c Palliative treatment Treatment and comforting help given to reduce pain, alleviate immobility or relieve other symptoms of a disease, but not to cure the disease. Cf. hospice Palmer drought index A mathematical formula indicating drought conditions. Cf. aridity, famine, Sahel Pandemic The presence of a disease in important proportions at the same time throughout the world. Example: AIDS. Cf. endemicity, epidemic Panic Acute and overwhelming sense of fear and dread, usually of sudden onset and most often self-limiting and of short duration, from a few seconds to hours, accompanying restlessness resulting in an urge to escape. A frequent but not lasting phenomenon, following disasters and major emergencies. Paragrapher Vessel of less than 500 tons usually used for coastal or inshore navigation that can be utilized in emergencies with a small crew, life-saving equipment and light radio facilities. Parasitic diseases Infections, infestation and other disease states caused by parasites of animal origin. Some examples common in disaster situations are amoebiasis, intestinal worms, schistosomiasis, malaria, trypanosomiasis, scabies, pediculosis. Paris Declaration The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, signed in 2005, seeks to enable aid-recipient countries rather than donors "to execute their own national plans according to their own national priorities … on long term" and be mutually accountable.

Cf. Accra Agenda Participation The philosophy and action of taking part in a decisionmaking process, being responsible for one's contribution and sharing the burden. Pathogen(ic) Bacterium, virus, prion, parasite, fungus or other microorganisms that can cause disease. Pathogenicity 1. Capacity to cause disease. 2. Which carries a pathogen.

Cf. pathogen Pathology 1. The medical science that studies disease. 2. By extension, it is also commonly but erroneously used to mean disease or the characteristics of a disease. Patient A sick person who needs, is receiving or will receive medical care, treatment or surgical attention. Sn: black death, bubonic plague, pestis Plan A pre-established course of action which, when implemented, is expected to lead to the attainment of the expected ends and objectives. An orderly set of decisions on the ways and means to achieving the impact and objectives sought. Cf. goal, objective, target, outcome Plate tectonics Tectonics is the branch of geological science that deals with regional structural and deformational aspects of the earth's crust. Plate tectonics refers to the concept that the crust consists of several large geological rigid plates whose borders represent fault zones along which slipping movements, deformity and earthquake activity occur.

Cf. earthquake, fault, transform fault, tsunami Pledging conference Any conference called speci fi cally to present a programme and obtain pledges of fi nancial support for its realization. The phrase is, however, most commonly used for the Ad Hoc Committee of the General Assembly for the announcement of voluntary contributions to the programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Sn: donors' meeting Cf. donor, request for disaster assistance Plutocracy The ruling class of the wealthy, unsocial government dictated by riches and the in fl uence of money.

Cf. autocracy, democracy, kleptocracy Plutonium Plutonium 239 is an arti fi cially created (1941) fi ssile material, the product of bombarding uranium with neutrons. It is used in nuclear bombs and nuclear power; the Nagasaki atomic bomb was of the plutonium type. Being relatively inexpensive to produce, it has contributed to the proliferation of nuclear weapons since 1945. Cf. uranium, caesium, atom bomb, Sella fi eld, SALT Pluviometry Sn: rainfall amount Pogrom Russian word for organized persecution and massacre, especially of the opponents of the regime. Cf. concentration camp, Auschwitz, ethnic cleansing Polder A low-lying humid region, protected arti fi cially against the surrounding waters by structures that can also be used for regulating the water levels. Example: Holland. Policy A set of objectives, course of action or a road map, re fl ecting certain principles considered to be useful, helpful and advantageous in guiding the authorities and associated persons or organization to achieve the agreed desired goals. Poliomyelitis An acute viral contagious infection which begins with fever, headache, stiff neck and back, but predominantly settles in the central nervous system, especially the spinal cord, causing paralysis. Epidemic outbreaks are to be feared in unsanitary and disaster conditions. Vaccination prevents the disease and is included in the WHO thrust and Expanded Programme on Immunization. Sn: infantile paralysis, polio Pollution Degradation of one or more elements or aspects in the environment by noxious industrial, chemical or biological wastes, from debris of Rabies A very serious disease due to a virus, common in dogs, foxes, bats but uncommon in man, transmitted by accidental animal bite or contact with its saliva. Death usually ensues due to meningoencephalitis. Cf. zoonosis, neglected tropical disease Race A group of people or animals that differs from others in certain visible or invisible characteristics and in the relative frequency of a gene or genes.

In reference to populations, it is also used for a community or group of people sharing the same ancestry. Racial discrimination is not tolerable. Cf. racism Racism Overt or covert animosity and discrimination against a person, group or population because of race. It is unacceptable according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Cf. race, human rights Racketeering Obtaining money, in fl uence or other favours by blackmail, intimidation, force or other illegal means. Destitute persons, disaster stricken people and helpless refugees are often common prey. Cf. ma fi a Rad The old unit of radioactive absorbed dose, equal to one-hundredth of 1 Gy, the SI unit that has replaced it. Cf. gray, Gy Radar Acronymic term for Radio Detection and Ranging. A radioelectric method of determining from a single station the direction, distance and speed of an object.

Radiation absorption The ionizing energy absorbed by an exposed population -patient, laboratory worker, explosion victim -from the decay of a radionuclide. The measuring unit is the gray (Gy) Cf. radiation protection, radiation exposure, gray, sievert Radiation detriment The detriment of radiation to an exposed population is de fi ned as the mathematical expectation of the harm incurred from an exposure to radiation, taking into account not only the probability of each type of deleterious effect but also the severity of the effects -ICRP. Cf. radiation exposure, radiation injury, radiation toxicity, radioactive contamination, fallout Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network/REMPAN Better known by its acronym REMPAN, the WHOled network of over 40 specialized institutions in radiation emergency and public health interventions and long-term follow-up of victims. Cf. radiation protection, radioactive contamination Radiation exposure risks/mSv A dose of 100 mSv (millisieverts) results in risk of cancer; 20 mSv is the maximum annual dose allowable for nuclear workers; 10 mSv is the dose received at a whole body scan; 1 mSv is the annual tolerated dose for a person; 0.1 mSv is the dose received at thoracic X-ray examination. Cf. sievert, radiation detriment, radiation toxicity Radiation injury Somatic and genetic damage to living organisms caused by ionizing radiation.

Cf. immu node fi ciency, ionizing radiation formed by the disintegration of radium. Directly inserted radon "seeds" are used in cancer therapy.

The measure of the total amount of liquid precipitation in a given place and time. Sn: pluviometry Cf. precipitation, cyclonic rain Rainout The washing out, by concurrent rain, of the radioactivity from the mushroom cloud produced by nuclear explosion. The oncoming rain may in fact be induced by the heat of the explosion itself. Sn: washout Cf. scavenging, mushroom cloud Rainy season Term used mainly in tropical regions for the annually recurring period of high rainfall which is preceded and followed by dry periods. In the latitudes concerned, this season is often the cause of fl ood disasters. Cf. tropical climate, macroclimate Raison d'état French diplomatic term meaning "Reason of State". According to this political doctrine, a State's interests or well-being override moral, military or other considerations.

A brief but valid evaluation, usually with established checklist, to assess the emergency needs of a disasteraffected community in health, survival necessities and services. Cf. assessment/disaster Rapprochement A French term, much used in social and diplomatic relations, that refers to gradual normalization and reestablishment of relations after a period of cooling, con fl ict or disharmony. Rati fi cation A State's formal approval of a Treaty, by which it of fi cially becomes a state party and has to abide by the stipulations and requirements of that treaty. Psychology: Denial, in certain circumstances not accepting the evident, e.g. that a parent has died or that a disaster has hit. May be used as a protective mechanism to avoid reality. Law: The denial, against all evidence, by a powerful person or autocratic ruler, of all wrongdoing. Impunity. Cf. denial, impunity Relative risk (disease) The ratio of the incidence of a given disease in exposed or at-risk persons, to the incidence of that disease in unexposed persons. Reliability The probability that a structure, device, method or system will operate without failure under given conditions for a speci fi c period of time.

Cf. failure Relief Assistance in material facilities, personal needs and services given to needy persons or communities, without which they would suffer. Cf. essential surgery Surgical conditions Conditions that include any pathology for which an externally applied invasive procedure may provide treatment, cure or palliation. Some conditions may not require incision, e.g. setting of a fracture, and modern techniques are becoming increasingly non-invasive. In poorer countries, at least the services of essential surgery must be provided within primary health care. Surveillance System that permits the continuous observation, measurement and evaluation of the progress of a process or phenomenon with the view to taking corrective measures. Example: surveillance of the water quality of a river, of air pollution, of health or a cardiac patient. Sn: monitoring Survival chain In emergency and critical medicine, the four links in the chain essential for the survival of the victim are (1) early access, to get help, immediate response and call for EMS;

(2) early CPR to buy time; cardiopulmonary resuscitation to keep oxygenated blood fl owing to the brain until additional help arrives; (3) early de fi brillation, to "restart" the heart with an automatic de fi brillator and (4) elimination Industrial products and material developments require that all such improvements and sustainability must also foresee and contain an inbuilt mechanism to ensure the elimination of such material at the end of its productive span, without causing damage to the environment and without harm to the population in the current and subsequent years. The nuclear industry, for instance, cannot guarantee such elimination and therefore falls short of the needed safety imperative. Cf. atmospheric pressure Traditional birth attendant A person who assists the mother at childbirth and who initially acquires her skill of delivering babies by herself or by working with other traditional birth attendants -WHO.

(In contrast to midwife who requires a formal medical education.) Traditional medicine Local folk medicine, native indigenous healing. "…It is part of the tradition of each country and employs practices that are handed down from generation to generation of healers. Its acceptance by people receiving care is also inherited from generation to generation" -WHO/SEARO.

Pollution and pollutants that have been produced in one country and that have passed international boundaries through water or air to other countries, causing pollution. The effects can be mitigated only through international agreements as the damage is caused outside the boundaries of the victim's country. Sn: transfrontier pollution Cf. acid rain, Chernobyl, ozone depletion, global health Transform fault Sn: sliding fault Transit centre A centre which houses refugees (or other disaster victims) awaiting the completion of formalities for departure. Transmission (of disease ) The passage of a disease -commonly an infectious disease, less commonly a hereditary condition -from one individual to another. Sn: disease transmission Cf. communicable disease, infectious disease, carrier Transparency International/TI An NGO founded in 1993 that seeks out and publicizes corruption in political, international and corporate bodies with the view to promoting transparency and fairness in development.

Publishes the annual "Corporate Perceptions Index" which compares and ranks corruption worldwide. Cf. transparent Transparent Vision: Easily seen through; bright. Social: Person or statement without affectation, lie or disguise. Organization/government: Political, governmental or corporate activity whose record is clear, accountable, not corrupt. Cf. Trans parency International, glasnost Transuranium elements Elements, such as plutonium, neptunium, that occur above uranium in the periodic table, generated in nuclear power reactors. They also disperse dangerously following atom bomb tests. Cf. uranium, plutonium, nuclear reactor Trauma/Trauma score Bodily injury due to any cause, any extent and any gravity. The trauma score is a numerical grading system for estimating the severity of injury, each parameter receiving a number (high for normal and low for impaired function). The severity of injury is estimated as the sum total of the numbers, the lowest score being 1 and the highest 16. Cf. Glasgow coma scale, survival chain Trauma and injury severity score/ TRISS A physiological and anatomical formula to evaluate the likelihood of survival following severe injuries, marking the probability from 0 to 100%. Cf. trauma injury classi fi cation, Glasgow trauma scale Trauma, injury classi fi cation The ITACCS classi fi cation of injuries related to trauma de fi nes the following: Major injury : Injury severity score >15, comprising at least one severe life-threatening regional injury. OR at least two severe non-life-threatening regional injuries. OR at least two severe non-life-threatening injuries plus at least two injuries of moderate severity.

Multiple trauma/Polytrauma : Injury to one body cavity such as head, thorax, abdomen, plus two long-bone and/or pelvic fractures. OR, plus injury to two body cavities. Cf. trauma score, ITACCS Treaty An international contract in writing between two or more States, negotiated, signed, rati fi ed and binding to the States parties. Some terms used interchangeably for the same are covenant, pact, convention, agreement, protocol, international treaty. Trend analysis A tool in decisionmaking and quality control that takes one criterion from an operation category and compares it against another criterion over time. The more criteria compared to one another, the more sensitive, reliable and speci fi c will the analysis be. Example: food distribution vs. crude mortality rate analyzed over time -Burkle. Trial A Swiss association of lawyers and of impunity victims, active in tracking down and denouncing impunity. It aims at putting the law at the service of victims of international crime, such as genocide, war crimes, torture or forced disappearances. Cf. impunity, war crimes, genocide, torture, disappearance Triage Selection and categorization of the victims of a disaster with the view to appropriate treatment according to the degree or severity of illness or injury and the availability of medical and transport facilities. Trinitrotoluene/TNT The chemical name for the explosive TNT, the main substance in conventional weapons. Also used for measuring the energy liberated in the explosion of a nuclear weapon. Thus, a 1 Mt nuclear bomb has the destructive capacity of one million tons of TNT. Cf. TNT Tropical air Mass of air which has stayed over tropical latitudes for several days and which, accordingly, has become relatively warm. Cf. tropical zones Tropical climate The prevailing climate in the subtropical and tropical zones, characterized by a wellmarked dry season (in the months when it is winter in the northern hemisphere) and an equally distinct rainy season (during the summer in the northern hemisphere). Cf. climate, dry season, rainy season Tropical cyclone A strong meteorological depression, generated in the tropics and giving rise to extremely violent winds. The term tropical cyclone covers typhoon, hurricane and cyclone. Seasonal cause of disaster. Wind force Beaufort 12, over 58 knots.

In the northern hemisphere, the cyclonic winds spin counterclockwise around a warm centre core, the eye, while in the southern hemisphere, they rotate clockwise. Cf. cyclone, hurricane, typhoon Tropical depression Tropical perturbance with maximum winds below 34 knots. Cf. depression, tropical storm, wind Tropical Health and Education Trust/ THET An organization that promotes and conducts training programmes for frontier health-care and essential surgical workers, particularly in Egypt, tropical and developing countries. Cf. essential surgery Tropical storm 1. Any tropical cyclonic disturbance. 2. Tropical cyclone with maximum winds between 34 and 64 knots. Cf. cyclone, tropical cyclone, tropical depression Tropical zones Countries which are continually warm, situated between the tropical latitudes, where the seasonal differentiation is in function of the rainfall, expressed as a dry season (corresponding to winter in the northern hemisphere) and a humid season.

Cf. rainfall, rainy season, dry season, season Troposphere The region of the atmosphere immediately above the earth's surface in which the temperature falls with increasing altitude. Truth and Reconciliation Commission: TRC/SA Following the demise of the apartheid regime in South Africa in1994, the new Constitution and Bill of Rights introduced the bold pioneering concept of a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission as part of the country's peaceful transformation and establishment of democracy. It granted "amnesty in respect of acts, omissions and offences associated with political objectives and committed in the course of con fl icts of the past". Cf. ICTR. Compare with the UN-created International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Trypanosomiasis Sn: sleeping sick ness Tsunami Huge ocean waves generated by an underwater upheaval such as submarine earthquake or volcanic eruption. The waves move out fast in all directions over hundreds of miles, causing great destruction. The worst recent tsunami occurred on 26 December 2004, off Sumatra, Indonesia, spreading as far west as the African coast, causing over 250,000 deaths. In 2011, the concurrent tsunami-earthquake-nuclear meltdown at Fukushima-Daiichi, Japan, was the worst compound disaster. Cf. seismic sea wave, tidal wave, compound disaster Tuberculosis/TB/Tb Infectious and contagious disease, with particular localization in the lungs, caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis . BCG vaccination is important, but the disease is still endemic in many regions and a real hazard in crowded unsanitary conditions following disaster. One of the six diseases in the WHO immunization programme. In recent years, it has been spreading in a virulent form with, currently, new attack strategies. Commonly used abbreviation: TB. Active TB: Positive presence of the signs, symptoms and fi ndings of the disease. Infectious TB: Active TB with the infection transmissible to others. Latent TB: Bacteriology and labo-ratory tests positive but no clinical evidence of the disease. Multi-drug resistant TB: TB strains resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin (MDR-TB).

Cf. Expanded Programme on Immunization, The Global Fund Twister Sn: tornado Typhoid fever A serious enteric infectious disease, transmitted by patients, carriers, water or food, such as contaminated shell fi sh. It is characterized by fever, slow pulse, skin eruption, abdominal signs, enlarged spleen and prostration. Many enteric diseases are labelled typhoid fever, but the latter only is caused by Salmonella typhi . It is a popular belief that typhoid frequently follows fl oods and other disasters; it is in fact unusual, and mass vaccination is not recommended. Personal hygienic practices constitute the best prevention. (Do not confuse typhoid with typhus.) Cf. diarrhoeal diseases, enteric diseases, carrier, oral rehydration, salmonellosis Typhoon A Chinese term, now universally adopted, for tropical cyclone in the Western Paci fi c, same as "hurricane" in the Atlantic and "cyclone" in South East Asia. Winds force 12 Beaufort, over 58 knots. Cf. cyclone, hurricane, tropical cyclone Typhoon warning Meteorological message to warn of the existence or expected arrival of a typhoon, often coupled with advice on protective measures. Cf. cyclone, hurricane, typhoon, weather forecast Typhus One of the serious rickettsial fevers, the classically notorious epidemic typhus, transmitted by lice. Immunization and louse control are highly effective. (Not to be confused with typhoid.) Cf. rickettsial fever, tick-borne typhus, typhus exanthe maticus Typhus exanthematicus Cf. rickettsial fever, typhus Tziganes Groups of populations believed to have originated in India and since the sixteenth century spread across Europe, living mostly in a nomadic manner, without fi xed residence, de fi ned state or boundaries. Much discriminated against, they deserve all human rights. The Schengen accords on free movement in Europe apply to them also. Without clear distinction, they are also variously known as Gypsies, Roma, Sinti, travellers. Cf. nomad, racism, discrimination, human rights U Unaccompanied minor A child under 15 years of age who has been separated from both parents following a disaster, exodus or refugee displacement and for whose care no person can be found who by law or custom has primary responsibility. Humanitarian organizations usually take care of unaccompanied minors/ children pending family reunion. (It is the usual practice of UNHCR to allow unaccompanied children over 15 to take decisions concerning durable solutions for themselves). Sn: unaccompanied child Cf. Refugee, Rädda Barnen, child UNAIDS Acronym for Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the principal worldwide programme on all aspects of fi nancing, monitoring, research, evaluation and treatment of this pandemic. (It has af fi nities to but should not be confused with UNITAID.) Undernutrition 1. Inadequate intake of food, hence of energy, over a period of time. 2. Pathological state arising from inadequate intake of food and hence of calories, over a considerable period, manifest by reduced body weight. Cf. energy requirements, malnutrition, famine UN hazard classi fi cation 9 Classes:

(1) explosive, mass explosion hazard, very insensitive substances;

(2) fl ammable gases, non-fl ammable nontoxic gases, toxic gases; (3) fl ammable liquids; (4) fl ammable solids, spontaneously combustible substances, substances dangerous when wet;

(5) oxidizing substances other than organic peroxides, organic peroxides; (6) poisonous (toxic) substances, infectious substances; (7) radioactive substances; (8) corrosive substances and (9) Rights/UDHR Universal declaration, proclaimed on 10 December 1948, by the United Nations General Assembly, guaranteeing every citizen certain inalienable rights, through the 30 separate articles, as follows: 1. The right to equality 2. Freedom from discrimination 3. The right to life, liberty and personal security 4. Freedom from slavery 5. Freedom from torture or degrading treatment 6. The right to recognition as a person before the law 7. The right to equality before the law 8. The right to fairness by a competent tribunal 9. Freedom from arbitrary arrest or exile 10. The right to a fair and public hearing 11. The right to be considered innocent until proven guilty 12. Freedom from interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence 13. The right to free movement in and out of any country 14. The right to asylum in other countries from persecution This is the only naturally occurring fi ssile isotope and, with due processing, is used for military and civilian nuclear reactors. Extracted from the soil, it is puri fi ed by removal of the gangue. The concentrate thus obtained is U308, a powder also known as "yellow cake". To utilize this for civilian or military purposes, it is further transformed into uranium fl uoride (UF6). For use in reactors, this needs further "enrichment" to go much higher than 0.7%. The process is physical, utilizing a great number of successively powerful centrifuges. Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted in 1993, fi ghts against impunity, to provide a fi rm base for the rule of law, to punish all those responsible for violations of such acts as torture. Gives power to the Human Rights Council to despatch Commissions of Inquiry when governments are unwilling to investigate human rights violations. Cf. impunity, Universal Declaration of Human Rights Violence The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, or another person or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation -WHO. Violence against women Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life -UN. Cf. female genital mutilation, violence Violent con fl ict risk factors Factors that constitute risks of violence among states include, inter alia: lack of democratic process, unequal access to power, social inequality, monopoly of or unequal access to resources, poverty, uncontrolled rapid demographic changes. Cf. con fl ict, violence, democracy Virucide Chemical compound used to destroy viruses. Cf. pesticide Virulence The ability of a pathological organism to produce a disease of any degree of seriousness. Virus Bacteriology: Self-reproducing infectious agent smaller than bacteria, containing only one type of nucleic acid and multiplying only in cells and responsible for a wide range of diseases and often of epidemics.

Cf. epidemic, human immunode fi ciency virus, avian in fl uenza, porcine in fl uenza Information technology: Electronic bug illegally introduced by hackers into a computer system with the view to disrupting the communication.

Cf. cyberwar, hacker Viral hepatitis (A, B, C) Infection of the liver, due to a virus, probably of three types: type A (previously known as acute infectious hepatitis), type B (usually called serum or posttransfusion hepatitis) and type C (that can be chronic). Type A is spread mainly by faecaloral contact and contaminated water or food. It is a real risk in congested, insalubrious areas following disaster. Type B is mainly transmitted through blood transfusions. It has become a major problem among drug addicts through the repeated use of infected needles. Type C predisposes to cancer. Virgin population A population that has to date not been exposed to a particular infectious organism. 

) solving international problems through international cooperation and (4) harmonizing the actions of all nations for these common ends. The UN acts through various mechanisms

for Human Rights at UNHCHR; High Commission Of fi ces

UNICEF; major programmes, e.g. UNDP; peacekeeping forces, e.g. UNIFIL; institutes, e.g. UNITAR OCHA is responsible for the direction and coordination of the UN response and capability in natural and other disasters. The following UN bodies are involved in disaster assistance: Cf

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

collapsed building) carried out from a distance by the use of signals. Cf. remote sensing Repatriation The actions and measures taken to ensure the return of a person to his country of origin or of usual residence.Cf. voluntary repatriation Representative The delegate of an international organization to a country or to another organization.Organizations have different names for their representatives, e.g. delegate (ICRC), resident representative (UNDP), programme coordinator (WHO), cooperant (France), expert. Request for disaster assistance Of fi cial approach made by the authorities of a disaster-stricken country to other governments, international organizations or voluntary agencies requesting aid in face of the calamity. Cf. declaration of disaster Rescue Immediate assistance to a person who is injured, e.g. fracture, or in distress, e.g. trapped in a collapsed building, with the view to applying fi rst aid and delivering him from harm. Cf. fi rst aid Reservoir of infection Any physical, animal, plant or human source harbouring and favouring the development of pathogens susceptible to be transmitted to man or animals. Cf. carrier, infection, transmission Resettlement Relocation and more or less orderly settlement, for temporary or permanent habitation, of refugees and other persons displaced from their usual place of residence. Cf. displaced person, crisis relocation, refugee, settlement Residence time The average length of time during which pollutants, such as smoke, toxic chemicals, radioactivity, remain in the atmosphere from the time the pollution begins. Cf. atmospheric pollution, Chernobyl, Seveso, super fi re Resilience A given person's, community's, or society's capacity to learn from, adapt to, and resist a real or potential hazard (such as a volcano or adverse indoctrination), contain its effects, proceed to recovery and maintain acceptable levels of ordinary living and functioning. Cf. adaptability, coping capacity Resource planning and development Study and application of legislative, economic, fi nancial and planning measures to promote a harmonious equilibrium among the activities, the amenities, the population needs and the country's resources over the national territory. Cf. resources, natural resources management, sustainable development Respiratory distress syndrome (Acute) A condition of acute pulmonary in fl ammation with respiratory insuf fi ciency and lack of arterial oxygen, due, among other causes, to multiple trauma and crush injuries. Cf. asphyxia, dyspnoea Sn: ARDS Cf. SARS Resuscitation/Resuscitology The scien ti fi c techniques and manoeuvres applied to reverse acute terminal states and reanimate victims in clinical death, by using intensive care and intensive therapy methods. The discipline is called resuscitology or reanimatology -after Safar. Retained dose Following exposure to a given pollutant, the portion of the absorbed dose that persists in the individual after a given time.Cf. absorbed dose Retro fi tting Strengthening and structurally upgrading existing buildings (houses, dams, bridges, etc.) to withstand destructive forces such as earthquakes and fl oods and to bring them closer to acceptable construction standards. Rehabilitating a weak structure. A WHO Collaborating Centre Zero option The possibility of agreement between the nuclear powers to reduce the stockpiles of long-range nuclear missiles to nil. Double-zero applies to long-range and mediumrange missiles. Cf. nuclear war, WHOPAX, missiles Zone Zero/ZZ In a disaster, the immediate area of maximum impact is the epicentre, Ground Zero. A further area of great damage, but less than at the epicentral GZ, surrounds this, with considerable but less destruction and where danger, search-and-rescue, exclusions and restrictions still apply. This secondary area is Zone Zero (ZZ). Example: In the Fukushima disaster, Ground Zero was the area immediately around the damaged reactors, about 5 km. Beyond that, over a perimeter of 20 km, extends Zone Zero -Gunn. Cf. Fukushima, epicentre, ground zero, Chernobyl Zonation/Microzoning The division and subdivision of a geographical area -country, region, etc. -and mapping into sectors that are homogeneous with respect to given criteria, microzoning, e.g. according to population density, or a perceived use, resource, hazard, avalanche, seismic fault, fl ooding or other degrees of risk. It also includes regulations according to each zone or microzone. Also zonation, hazard mapping, resource mapping. Cf. risk map Zoonosis Any disease of animals that can be transmitted to man. Examples: rabies, yellow fever, dengue, foot-andmouth disease, mad cow disease. Cf. dengue, rabies, yellow fever, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, epizootic