What should be the role of military forces in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in future international security operations? Obviously, it will depend on whether or not the operations will be carried out with the threat or presence of enemy military opposition or whether the operations will be conducted in peacetime when the natural disaster itself has posed seemingly overwhelming problems.

The devastating typhoon of 30 April 1991 in Bangladesh was a peacetime disaster with 138,000 deaths (press estimate). U.S. Navy amphibious forces and U.S. Special Operations Forces were deployed to Bangladesh in disaster relief Operation SEA ANGEL to provide assistance.

A humanitarian assistance operation for Kurdish refugees in 1991 in Turkey-Iraq was Operation PROVIDE COMFORT The U.S. Special Operations Forces provided life-saving emergency medical assistance, shelter, food distribution, and relief supplies for refugees.. The Special Operations Forces established and operated temporary camps in Iraq, coordinating international support that led to the eventual transition of relief operations to civilian administration.

Possible roles of military forces in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in future international security operations will be examined.