Haiti throws a spotlight on US Humanitarian Aid

Jan 15th, 2010 9:50 AM UTC
By Porter.McConnell_Oxfam

Check out this great post from Porter McConnell of Oxfam:

The US government has an incredible capacity to deploy humanitarian aid in emergencies and natural disasters. But an out-of-date bureaucracy is keeping humanitarian aid workers from responding in places like Haiti as effectively as possible.

In one instance, the State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) funds education programs for refugees, while the USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) does not do the same for the internally-displaced. In practice, this means that whether a child fleeing conflict gets to go to school or not depends on whether their family has crossed an international border.

The US aid structure must be nimble enough to prevent arbitrary distinctions like this one from getting in the way of helping families get back on their feet.

Learn more about how a government wide strategy, effective legislation, a rebuilt structure, and flexible resources will make it easier for humanitarian aid workers to reach families in need.

-Porter McConnell, Aid Effectiveness Team, Oxfam America

Photo caption: Emergency-preparedness training taught Carmen Sosa how to take charge of her family’s safety the next time disaster hits El Salvador. US aid agencies need the flexibility to support disaster risk reduction. (Liliana Rodriguez / Oxfam America)

TAGS: Earthquake in Haiti, From Our Partners, Haiti, Oxfam