Humanitarian Assistance

How can the United States and Europe improve the effectiveness and impact of their humanitarian assistance efforts? A team of scholars and practitioners led by the Global Public Policy Institute and the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University conducted field-based empirical research and engaged policymakers to improve U.S.-European cooperation in four key areas of humanitarian assistance: linking relief, rehabilitation, and development; applying best practices and lessons learned; improving business engagement in emergency relief and preparedness; and considering civil-military relations in disaster response. The authors provide an in-depth analysis of the current state of the humanitarian policy debate and the relevant institutional setup in the EU and the U.S. They compare doctrines, programming principles, and geographical and sectoral priorities and propose areas where these principles and priorities can be made coherent. They also offer specific recommendations for greater transatlantic coherence and effectiveness. Contents include Part One: Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Case Studies Southern Sudan North Kivu Afghanistan Chad Part Two: Approaches to Implementing Lessons Learned in Humanitarian Assistance Case Studies Gender in Nepal Gender in Darfur Strengthening Local Capacity in Nicaragua Strengthening Local Capacity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Part Three: Business Engagement in Emergency Relief and Preparedness Case Studies Humanitarian Firms Insuring Against Disasters Humanitarian Assistance and Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility in Emergency Preparedness Part Four: Civil-Military Relations in Disaster Response Case Studies Civil-Military Relations in Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo The Next Emergency in Kosovo Response to the 2004 Tsunami