Humanitarian Assistance: The Disaster Cycle -- Building Disaster Resilient Communities

“Humanitarian organizations are better in delivering life-saving assistance than in strengthening local capacity” (Smillie, 2001). This happens because “in the heat of each new crisis, the scramble to save lives often eclipses the goal of partnership with local institutions” and also because “patterns of relationships established during the relief phases of conflicts, many of them distressingly long-lived, are difficult to alter as reconstruction and development possibilities open up” (Smillie, 2001). The apparent solution to this address this challenge is “building local institutional capacity” (Smillie, 2001). The strengthening of institutional capacity happens during preparedness. In times of normalcy, a society functions smoothly. By carefully allocating resources and strategically conducting public interventions, a government promotes physical and social reconstructions under the concept of “building back stronger”. Time to design, analyze and implement alternative plans is crucial in the process of building resilient communities. Development should be the main goal of humanitarian assistance. Once international humanitarian organizations promote the welfare of vulnerable communities, a society improves its response system to the next crisis. International humanitarian agencies having long-term commitments with local agencies contribute to the efforts of local governments in mitigating the magnitude of cyclical crisis impacts. Development is organic. Local government and communities delineate the steps that a locality takes in the disaster cycle. Social needs are different in each disaster stage. By investing in long-term education, transferring expertise and technology, and promoting the exchange of best practices, international humanitarian agencies proactively address challenges encountered throughout the disaster cycle. Reference: Smillie, Ian. “Capacity Building and the Humanitarian Enterprise” Chapter 1 in Patronage or Partnership: local capacity building in humanitarian crises. Ian Smillie (editor). Kumarian Press, 2001.