ABSTRACT
Floods in Mozambique, famine in Ethiopia, earth-quakes in Turkey, civil war in Kosovo; these recent events all exemplify that despite the advancement of modem technology, the number of severe natural disasters and armed social conflicts is
not decreasing. In these types of circumstances the lack of sufficient aid, including food, shelter and medical care exposes many victims, especially the poor in developing countries, to hunger, disease and often death. International humanitarian organisations strive to provide disaster relief in the affected regions by employing mobile hospitals that offer medical services ranging from first aid, outpatient treatment to complex surgery. Armed forces brought in to aid in relief missions set up field hospitals to provide medical care for both their staff and the people affected by disaster and war. Precedent analysis of mobile hospitals revealed two basic systems currently in use: the tent solution utilised by humanitarian organisations, and the container-based solution typical of military forces. Interviews with users of both systems, the German Red Cross Disaster Relief Unit in Berlin and the German Army Crisis Reaction Forces in Ulm, gave valuable insight into these relief approaches and medical care concepts.
