•Disasters, either natural or man-made, disrupt the baseline functioning of a community, including food, water, sanitation and health. The resiliency of a community to recover from a disaster depends on existing economic and social structures. Poverty and inadequate economic and social systems are prevalent in tropical regions, making them extremely vulnerable to disasters
•Complex emergencies are the result of the near-total breakdown of authority and extreme violence due to conflict. Complex emergencies have increased dramatically in frequency since 1980 and are the leading cause of displaced populations
•Displaced populations are at increased risk of increased morbidity and mortality. Other vulnerable groups in the population include women, children, the elderly, and anyone with a physical or mental disability
•Leading causes of morbidity and mortality in displaced populations consistently include diarrhea, measles, malaria, acute respiratory infection and malnutrition
