Humanitarian Assistance in International Law

Author

Marina Sharpe (Associate Professor of International Law, Royal Military College Saint-Jean)

ISBN: 9780198994701

Published: July 2026

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Description

Humanitarian Assistance in International Law sets out, for the first time in a single volume, how international law governs the delivery of relief across every context in which it occurs: armed conflict, situations of violence that fall short of armed conflict, natural disasters, mixed emergencies, and assistance delivered at sea. Rather than working through the subject regime by regime, Marina Sharpe organizes the analysis around the real-world scenarios in which humanitarian actors actually operate, making the rules easier to locate and apply.

The book traces the legal principles that govern consent, access, and the conduct of relief operations, and examines how the United Nations, non-state humanitarian organizations, and states themselves are each treated under the applicable law. It closes with a sustained account of individual accountability and state responsibility when humanitarian assistance is obstructed, diverted, or attacked.

Published as humanitarian access has become a recurring flashpoint in Security Council debate and before the International Court of Justice, the book gives legal advisers a single reference point for questions that previously required assembling answers from scattered treaties, resolutions, and case law.

Key Features

• First comprehensive, single-volume treatment of the law governing humanitarian assistance across armed conflict, non-conflict violence, disasters, mixed situations, and assistance at sea
• Organized by operational scenario rather than by legal regime, so practitioners can locate the rules that apply to the situation in front of them
• Assists legal counsel at UN agencies and NGOs in structuring cross-border relief operations that withstand host-state objections over consent and access
• Clarifies the accountability framework for violations against humanitarian personnel, convoys, and operations, including individual and state responsibility
• Supports government legal advisers assessing obligations toward humanitarian corridors, air bridges, and maritime relief convoys

Coverage

Legal framework for humanitarian principles; regulation of assistance during armed conflict; regulation of assistance in peacetime and disaster settings; mixed situations combining conflict and non-conflict elements; assistance delivered by sea; the roles of United Nations bodies, non-state humanitarian actors, and states; individual accountability and international responsibility for violations affecting humanitarian operations.

About the Authors

Marina Sharpe is Associate Professor of International Law at the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, where her research focuses on international humanitarian law, refugee law, and the law governing humanitarian assistance. Her work is widely cited in scholarship and practice addressing the legal treatment of relief operations in conflict and disaster settings.

Table of Contents

• Part I: Introduction
• Part II: Legal Framework — Humanitarian Principles; Armed Conflict; Peacetime
• Part III: Humanitarian Actors — The United Nations; Non-State Actors; States
• Part IV: Conclusions

Why buy this book?

Humanitarian access disputes now reach the Security Council and the International Court of Justice on a near-continuous basis, and institutions advising on or litigating these questions need authority that speaks to every operational context at once. This is the first work to bring armed conflict, disaster response, mixed situations, and maritime assistance under one legal roof, making it a natural acquisition for international law collections, humanitarian law clinics, and government legal libraries.

Keywords

humanitarian assistance, international humanitarian law, disaster relief law, armed conflict, UN humanitarian operations, NGO accountability, law of the sea humanitarian access, international law 2026

Target Audience

international law scholars, humanitarian law practitioners, UN and NGO legal advisers, government legal departments, academic and law libraries

Genre

International Law, Humanitarian Law, Public International Law

Q&A

What does international law say about delivering humanitarian aid during an armed conflict?
International humanitarian law requires parties to a conflict to allow and facilitate rapid, unimpeded passage of relief for civilians in need, subject to their right of control, and this book sets out the specific legal standards governing consent, access, and the conduct of relief operations in conflict settings.

How does international law regulate humanitarian assistance outside of armed conflict, such as after natural disasters?
Peacetime disaster response is governed by a distinct body of principles addressing state sovereignty, the duty to seek or accept assistance, and the coordinating role of the United Nations, which the book treats as its own operational category rather than an extension of the law of armed conflict.

What legal accountability exists for violations against humanitarian personnel and operations?
The book examines both individual criminal responsibility and state responsibility for attacks on or obstruction of humanitarian personnel and convoys, tracing how these accountability mechanisms apply across conflict, disaster, and maritime contexts.

How do UN agencies and non-state humanitarian actors fit into the international legal framework for relief operations?
United Nations bodies, non-state organizations, and states each operate under distinct legal authorities and obligations, and the book dedicates separate analysis to each actor's role, mandate, and exposure to accountability.

Where can I buy Humanitarian Assistance in International Law?
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