Local practices of humanitarian aid: Pharmaciens sans frontières Anjou1 in Romania during the 1990s

Abstract:

The fall of the communist regime caused a massive flow of humanitarian aid to Romania, from all over the world. Pharmaciens sans frontières (PSF) Anjou, a departmental branch of PSF France, was one of them. After retrieving and sorting unused medication for three years, its members decided to take matters into their own hands and go to Romania. This also led to the development of other types of projects, such as internships and inter-university collaboration.

In this article I argue that, at a local level, actions are highly influenced by individual stakeholders. Therefore, this study aims to better understand and illustrate the role of everyday practices in the evolution of humanitarian aid to Romania during the 1990s. The article will also question the purpose and utility of these person-to-person contacts.