Disaster Relief Aid: Changes and Challenges

The first part of Chapter 1 defines salient features of disaster relief operations and briefly chronicles the development of global humanitarian assistance programs. The next section of Chapter 1 summarizes major criticisms of disaster aid provision and also outlines the need for disbursement of assistance to disaster survivors. This is accomplished in part by providing several definitions of natural disasters wherein the need for emergency relief aid for survivors of extreme natural events are either explicit or embedded. The chapter concludes with the book's objectives and chapter outline.

Disaster Relief Aid

Background of Humanitarian Assistance

Criticisms of Disaster Aid Provision

Need for Disaster Relief Aid

Objectives of this Book

Chapter Arrangements

Chapter 2 explains how disaster aid flows from a plethora of private, public, humanitarian, business, and non-profit organizations, as well as individuals from both affected and non-affected areas/countries, to survivors of extreme natural events. This chapter also covers other relevant information such as providers and distributors of emergency aid and issues associated with participation of domestic and foreign military forces in disaster relief operations. This is followed by a final section dealing with problems and challenges associated with disaster aid flows. 

International Humanitarian System

Flash Appeal

Pledge and Flow of Relief Aid

Needs Assessment, Logistics and Management 

Providers of Disaster Aid

      Participation of Foreign Military Forces

      Participation of Domestic Military Forces

Funding Guidelines (GHD and Others

Determinants of Disaster Aid

Crucial aspects of disaster relief (e.g., timeliness, appropriateness, and coordination and cooperation) that ultimately determine the success of any single operation are presented in Chapter 3, along with a discussion on how agencies involved in disaster relief operations and maintain partnerships and networks. This chapter provides background for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of disaster aid disbursement. Several disaster relief and network models are also discussed.

Success/Failure Indicators of Disaster Relief Operations

      Timeliness

      Coordination and Cooperation

      Inequitable Distribution

      Human Right Violations

 Partnership and Networking

Numerical Disaster Relief and Networks Models   

Chapter 4 provides an overview of the nature and extent of emergency relief efforts undertaken in countries impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (IOT), Hurricane Katrina, and the Kashmir and Nepal earthquakes, along with some basic statistics regarding these disasters. The weaknesses and strengths of each one of these disaster operation are reviewed. This review is essential for improving future emergency relief operations. Additionally, each of the operation considered in this chapter is fundamental for understanding the dynamics of the relief process. 

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

     Global Generosity

     Competition and Cooperation

The 2005 Hurricane Katrina

     Official Response

     Non-official Response

The 2005 Kashmir Earthquake

     Global Response

     Participation of Foreign Military

     Earthquake Relief and LoC

     Participation of National Army

The 2015 Nepal Earthquake

     Problems in Organizing Disaster Relief Aid

     Domestic and International Response

     Effectiveness of Emergency Aid

Unnecessary and useless relief items to those who have suffered a disaster have been a perpetual problem across the globe. This spontaneous flow of supplies hampers and complicates emergency relief efforts. This post-disaster convergence phenomenon is the subject of Chapter 5. There are three forms of convergence: personal (the influx of emergency response personnel and all types of individuals, including affiliated or non-affiliated local/national and foreign volunteers, and members of search, rescue and medical teams); informational (the flow of information and communication); and material (movement of physical resources, like (solicited or unsolicited) donated goods, supplies, and/or equipment sent by all entities in response to a disaster). All these components of convergence phenomenon and their effects on disaster relief activities are examined in this chapter. 

History of Convergence Phenomenon

Convergence of Personnel

Convergence of Information

Convergence of Materials

Advantages and Disadvantages

Current Strategies Used to Control Convergence

Recommendations

The final chapter (Chapter 6) outlines the progress so far made in global disaster relief efforts during the last decades, along with the challenges such efforts have confronted in recent years. Based on these challenges, recommendations are made to improve future disaster relief efforts.

Problems and Challenges

Lessons Learned

Progress

Recommendations

In addition, a glossary of disaster relief-related organizations and agencies (e.g., ALNAP, DAC, DEC, FTS, and GHD) will be included at the end of the proposed book.