The Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) is one of Europe's leading academic institutions to conduct research on humanitarian crises. Coming from a strong tradition of international humanitarian law and human rights law, the institute today combines high-level interdisciplinary research from the disciplines of public law, social science, geosciences and public health. We examine the origins of humanitarian crises; the legal parameters before, during and in the aftermath of crises; the effects crises have on people, societies and institutions; and the responses states, international organizations and non-governmental organizations give to crises.