The Approach

In humanitarian crises, resources and support from the state, community, and family can quickly become scarce, while the risks of violence, coercion, and deliberate deprivation escalate rapidly. Individuals at risk may find themselves overwhelmed, disoriented, or cut off from their usual coping strategies, making it harder for them to manage their own safety and well-being when in danger or in distress. Affected populations experience a range of stressors that can have immediate and long-term consequences. Many people experience common reactions such as difficulties with sleeping, fatigue, worry, anger, and physical aches and pains. For most people, these problems are manageable and improve over time, but for others they impair daily functioning. Even when national and humanitarian services are available, these supports might be unsafe or difficult to access, leaving some individuals unable to benefit from aid without professional support.

A caseworker is essential in these situations, providing empathy and support when family and community connections are weakened. They help individuals assess their circumstances and create personalised case plans and safety plans, particularly when people are overwhelmed or unaware of available protection resources. Caseworkers also advocate for individuals to help them access services that might otherwise be out of reach or denied. Effective Protection Case Managment programming provides critical services and supports to reduce suffering and improve people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. This can lead to improvements in people’s abilities to meet their basic needs to survive, recover and rebuild their lives.

In a humanitarian context, case management services are crucial for ensuring that those most at risk benefit from humanitarian efforts. Effective case management, supported by robust information systems, generates valuable data and trends. This information can guide humanitarian action by improving accessibility, closing service gaps, ensuring individuals receive necessary information, and strengthening national systems to better support at-risk individuals as they recover from crises.