Among the most dramatic consequences of war, revolution and political and social upheaval are population displacement and famine. The Hoover Institution is a truly exceptional place for documenting and studying the causes and consequences of forced migrations, internal and external displacement, exile and émigré politics and matters associated with aid and relief to refugees.
Beginning with the displacement and hunger caused by the German invasion of Belgium in the First World War and aid to famine-stricken populations in Soviet Russia, East Europe and the Near East, the Hoover Institution has sought to document the activities of aid agencies such as the Commission for the Relief of Belgium, the American Relief Administration, the International Rescue Committee, the Aid Refugee Chinese Intellectuals organization, the American Emergency Committee for Tibetan Refugees and other societies and individuals involved in aid to help better understand the causes and results of such monumental human tragedies.
Numerous collections of individuals and organizations at the receiving end of aid, those caught up in the experience of exile and displacement, provide depth and breadth to this topic.