Kristen Boon

For those of us in the direct line of Hurricane Sandy, it seems appropriate to highlight recent developments in international disaster law.

Many of the legal challenges arising from natural disasters involve practical issues such as obtaining visas, removing bureaucratic barriers to financial aid and ensuring that foreign actors offering assistance comply with local laws.
 
However, natural disasters also raise a number of bigger questions:
  • Should the responsibility to protect apply to natural disasters?
  • Do states have a duty to accept help following natural disasters?
  • How will the obligations to protect citizens affect our understanding of sovereignty?
This article was originally posted on Opinio Juris here.
Kristen Boon
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