Disaster Relief and Management

Disasters caused by natural hazards and human actions are destructive in their impacts on peoples' lives, livelihoods, and wellbeing, particularly in the case of the poor. Each disaster is unique in its characteristics, degree of devastation, and implications. The immediate challenge of a disaster is how to respond quickly to relief and rehabilitation needs in ways that will help to improve future responses. Unless disaster relief is managed to ensure transparency, speedy delivery of relief, and recovery, disaster‐affected communities will continue to suffer. International and domestic disaster laws and administrative procedures are not robust enough to tackle many facets of disaster management. Disaster action frameworks and guidelines created by the United Nations and international nongovernmental organizations have tried to fill this lacuna. Donor coordination, damage assessment, information sharing, local participation, good governance, and monitoring and evaluation of disaster distribution are areas where more improvement is needed.