In this interview conducted by Claudine Vidal in 2012 and published in the book Agir à Tout Prix (Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: the MSF experience), Rony Brauman speaks about emergency humanitarian aid set up following natural disasters. Time constraints, access to victims, cooperation with local institutions, misleading representations of the disasters' effects, controversial assessments of the number of casualties; various topics related to these interventions are discussed and illustrated with specific examples.

In a report titled "A Dangerous Delay", Oxfam and Save the Children rebuke everyone - governments, humanitarian organisations, the United Nations - who participated in the humanitarian response to the food crisis that struck the Horn of Africa in recent months.

In the context of emergency appeals in the Horn of Africa, Rony Brauman recalls the contemporary definition of a famine. While recognising the progress made in major crisis response mechanisms, he questions the alarmist attitude of the UN.

For the past several months, news about food shortages and famines affecting large segments of the East African population have been fueling donation appeals from major public and private aid organizations.

The United Nations announces a famine and that 12.4 million people are threatened by drought in the Horn of Africa. Radio and television repeatedly broadcast an appeal for donations to UNICEF, brandishing disturbing figures.

Doit-on s’étonner de la crise alimentaire qui affecte aujourd'hui le Niger ? La question semble aujourd'hui secondaire devant l'urgence de la situation. Et puis pourquoi s'étonner alors que le Sahel soit victime de famines depuis des siècles ?

Fabrice Weissman highlights the political factors at work behind the threat of famine - which, though very real, cannot be fully explained by natural causes - and casts a critical eye on the relief system, as well.

Catastrophes naturelles ou d'origine humaine : Rony Brauman expose les principes généraux de l'intervention humanitaire.

Rony Brauman revient sur le programme de déplacements forcés du général Mengistu en Éthiopie et sur les conséquences désastreuses de cette ingénierie sociale.

Une interrogation critique sur l'aide internationale prise au piège d'un régime totalitaire.

Dans ce texte rédigé d'un ton vigoureux, François Jean analyse les déterminants de la famine éthiopienne de 1984-1985, la rapprochant d'événements analogues survenus dans le monde communiste.

Si nous entendons jouer un rôle positif dans le processus de développement il est important que les bons sentiments ne se substituent pas à la compréhension des évènements.