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International Disaster Management A disaster requires the involvement of the international community of responders when a nation’s capability to respond has become overwhelmed. There are three types of emergencies that normally involve an international humanitarian response; natural disasters, technological disasters, and complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs).

There are several issues that must be addressed when responding to international disasters. The first, coordination, is a vital and immediate component due to the sheer numbers of responding agencies that almost always appear. It is not uncommon in larger disasters to see several hundred local and international NGOs, each with a particular skill or service to offer. The United Nations has become widely recognized as the central coordinating body, with specialized UN agencies handling the more specific needs associated with particular disaster consequences.

The second issue is that of sovereignty of the state. State sovereignty is based upon the recognition of political authority characterized by territory and autonomy. Accordingly, a foreign nation or organization cannot intercede in domestic matters without the prior consent of the ruling government. Examples of such behavior include Japan’s refusal to allow access to international agencies for several days after the earthquake in Kobe and the actions of the Former Soviet Union following the nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl.

The third issue is equality in relief distribution, and it applies to any type of disaster. There often arise situations where, for any number of cultural or political reasons, certain groups in need of aid are favored over others. The first example of this discrimination is due to gender bias, which is most commonly found in societies where gender roles are strictly defined and women are traditionally tasked with duties related to the home and children (which tend to be increased in times of crisis). In these cultures, it is the men who are more likely to have opportunities to wait in relief lines for supplies, and the women (as well as children and the elderly) become even more dependent on them for survival. The second form of inequality in relief is that of class bias. Though most obvious in social systems explicitly based on caste identity, there are often underlying ethnic and racial divides that present similar problems.

A fourth issue is the importance of capacity building and linking relief with development. Responding agencies have an obligation to avoid using a ‘Band-Aid’ approach in assisting the affected country. Disasters almost always present a window of opportunity to rebuild old, ineffective structures and develop policy and practice in a way that leaves behind a more empowered, resilient community. As these goals mirror those of most traditional development agencies, linking relief and development should not be a major deviation from either type of agencies’ missions.