4.2. Requesting what is right, avoiding what is wrong

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Post-disaster assistance will always be more effective when certain basic principles are kept in mind, so that the process will favor, not delay, a quick response and recovery for the affected population.

  • The objective of a good donation is that it responds to real needs, as expressed by the recipient.
  • The affected country should also inform donors of what is not needed or wanted. This is just as important as specifying what is needed.
  • Emergency aid should complement, not duplicate, steps taken by the affected country.
  • Whenever possible, cash donations are preferable. This enables goods and services to be purchased locally and saves time and logistical resources associated with storage and transportation.
  • Successful assistance programs take into account that international attention wanes as needs and shortages become more pressing.
  • There should always be a close communication between donors and recipients, communication will be much more effective if channels exist before the emergency.
  • Some materials need precise specifications. When donating used medical equipment, new equipment, tents, and vaccines, it is necessary to obtain and to provide detailed documentation for these items.
  • Become familiar with and use a humanitarian supply management system (such as LSS/SUMA), which promotes transparency and effective management of donations.

It is just as important to take note of what is not recommended in terms of humanitarian aid.

  • Do not overreact to media reports for urgently needed international assistance. Wait for the complete picture and formal requests to be issued.
  • Donors should not compete with each other. The quality and appropriateness of the aid is more important than its size, its monetary value and/or the speed with which the donations arrive.
  • Don't promote the shipment of used items (clothes, shoes, etc.), food, medicines, blood and blood derivatives, medical or paramedical personnel, medical equipment or field hospitals.
  • Never donate medicines that have expired or are about to expire.
  • There should be no double standards when measuring the quality of donations. If the product is unacceptable in the donor country, it is also unacceptable as a donation.

Consult the PAHO/WHO guide "Humanitarian Assistance in Disaster Situations, a Guide for Effective Aid" for a compete discussion of the issues related to effective international humanitarian aid.