This booklet examines the issue of humanitarian aid in times of crises and how the political and military conditions that generate the need for humanitarian action have changed in the post-cold-war era. There are different faces of civil war, changes in international assistance, and complex emergencies that demand new world responses to help those caught in need. Political realities must be taken into account as the human-needs agenda is addressed. The book has five chapters. Chapter 1, "Humanitarianism and Politics," examines prevailing understandings of humanitarianism and politics. Chapter 2, "Humanitarian and Political Actors," outlines the major actors in today's crises. Chapter 3, "Getting the Relationship Right," provides examples of different ways of responding to these crises. Chapter 4, "Looking to the Future," suggests changes in approach in response to crises. Chapter 5, "Implications for U.S. Policy," presents challenges to U.S. policy. The book concludes that humanitarian action needs to be clearer about its possibilities and limitations while politics needs to be infused with humanitarian dimensions. The volume includes an annotated reading list and a set of discussion questions for classroom use. (EH)