Difficulties faced by Korean disaster relief workers while providing humanitarian aid: A descriptive study

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to identify difficulties experienced by Korean disaster relief workers during humanitarian aid deployment. A convenience sample of disaster relief workers aged >18 years, who had been dispatched to an overseas disaster site, were recruited; 107 relief workers completed the Humanitarian Aid Difficulty Scale that consists of 23 items comprising five factors. The average difficulty rating was 2.64 on a five point scale. By item, participants gave the highest scores for bathroom use and the lowest scores for cooperation among team members. By factor, infrastructure was rated as the greatest difficulty, followed by health conditions, goods and equipment, culture and customs, and cooperation. Considering sociodemographic characteristics, there were significant age differences in the culture and customs factor, as well as significant occupation differences in the cooperation, culture and customs, and goods and equipment factors. These findings highlight the need to improve the welfare of workers. It is recommended that further research be conducted according to occupation and with repeated measurement prior to, in the middle of, and after deployment of relief workers.

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