The first article describes the new role for the World Health Organization (WHO) in emergencies, followed by a profile of the health-sector approach to vulnerability-reduction and emergency preparedness. The old and new hazards of disasters in Africa are discussed, along with the growing vulnerability of African people. Sustaining, protecting, and promoting public health in Bosnia and Herzegovina are discussed in another paper, and the Supply Management Project (SUMA) is reviewed in another article as a management tool for post-disaster relief supplies. An article on institutional capacity-building for disaster preparedness in the Americas is followed by one on the impact of hurricane Luis on the health services of Antigua and Barbuda. Mexico's preparedness for the effects of volcanoes on health, the main scientific results of the WHO international program on the health effects of the Chernobyl accident, and mental health under war conditions during the 1991-95 war in the former Yugoslavia are discussed in three other articles. Remaining topics addressed are the standardization of health relief items needed in the early phase of emergencies, basic services for refugees, and UNICEF's history of emergency response. The papers contain tables on the consequences of the disasters discussed and the services provided to victims.