Smoke and Mirrors: Deficiencies in Disaster Funding

Disasters such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami, which derail development, can no longer be viewed as short term blips from which society readily recovers. As this insightful article points out:

• Much of the aid promised immediately after disasters does not reach those affected
• More emphasis should be put on rehabilitation after immediate needs are met
• UN relief agencies should be funded at least in part from assessed contributions rather than relying on pledges in response to individual disasters from donor governments
• "Disaster proofing" should be taken seriously in all development planning

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