Authors

1 Ph.D. Student, Public Law, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

While in conditions of combat assistance to victims based on the provisions of binding humanitarian law often takes place easily, there are no similar provisions in terms of natural disasters. This legal vacuum provides a fertile ground for abuse of the traditional principles of sovereignty and non-intervention in order to prevent international relief. In the meantime, International Disaster Response Law as a new branch of Public International Law is looking to log-on in to the basics of humanitarian assistance provided in such events to fill the void. The doctrine of the responsibility to protect, seems as an appropriate justification for this purpose. The international community has yet to reach a consensus about the applicability of the aforementioned doctrine in cases of disaster. However, results of this study suggest that even if a consensus is reached by the international community, it will not create a significant and effective change in the international relief to the victims of such events by itself.

Keywords

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