Disaster Relief Aid Changes and Challenges [Hardcover]

Disaster Relief Aid: Changes and Challenges provides a comprehensive analysis of disaster relief efforts undertaken globally during the last several decades, and examines the changes and challenges that have emerged over time. The book evaluates the current state of disaster relief and discusses how it may be improved.  The author examines salient features of disaster relief operations and provides an overview of the development of global humanitarian assistance programs. The book also explores how disaster aid is channelled from non-affected areas to affected areas. Using five major natural and man-made disasters as case studies, the book analyses the nature and extent of emergency relief efforts undertaken for each. The final chapter covers the post-disaster convergence phenomenon; outlines the major challenges of international disaster relief operation and finally, posits recommendations on how to improve future disaster relief efforts. 

This is an essential interdisciplinary text on disaster response for both undergraduate and graduate students as well as an invaluable resource for disaster researchers, managers, and numerous international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international agencies.

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 books objectives and chapl£B