The extent of human suffering arising from armed conflicts, forced displacement, and natural disasters is unfortunately well known. Yet pitted against such forces of destruction are individuals, local communities, and international organisations responding to the humanitarian imperative to alleviate suffering wherever it may be found. The twin components of humanitarian action-encompassing material assistance and the protection of persons-therefore provide a counter-balance to the serious harms that humans and nature can create. Recent years have seen an exponential growth in such...