Posts tagged humanitarian aid
FPIF Does Providing Aid in War Zones Do More Harm Than Good?

By clandestinely rebranding aid from outside sources with its own labels, ISIS fools surrounding populations into believing the insurgent state is a benevolent entity that protects and cares for its people.

This poses a huge moral dilemma for those of us who work at humanitarian organizations: If we know the aid will likely be diverted, should we not try to help suffering people? If we stop the aid, many belligerents will use it as propaganda to blame the West for the area’s suffering and hunger. But if we provide aid, aren’t we abetting terrorist organizations?

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4 Ways Companies Can Help in the Face of Natural Disasters

Corporations, in particular, have the infrastructure, supply chains, experience and relationships to help respond quickly. It’s great when companies contribute their assets to relief efforts, but sometimes the best intentions actually cause more problems than they solve. For example, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, we saw a candy company donate bags of Halloween candy to the affected children. Can you imagine children — who have just lost everything and, in many cases, family members — opening up skeleton-shaped candy suckers?

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As the aid landscape changes, a new view on NGO neutrality

When aid workers see suffering, they don't respond with pity or shake their heads at the sorrow in the world. They respond with compassion so deep that it moves them to risk their lives to provide food, supplies and hope to people in need.

But good intentions don't always lead to positive outcomes. As the global community shrinks and technology keeps us more informed and connected, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) landscape grows increasingly diverse and complex, creating difficult operational conditions.

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How Nonprofits Can Maximize Their Disaster Response Efforts

The collective goal of disaster response NGOs is to save lives, relieve suffering, and foster hope and resilience that will empower people to begin rebuilding. In Nepal, $422 million is needed for these efforts, yet only 30 percent of that amount has been raised at the time of this writing. Collaboration and coordination between agencies is imperative, and the development of public-private partnerships is also critical. Lessons learned must be quickly applied to future disaster scenarios.

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How Linking the World is changing the way NGOs approach aid delivery across the globe

Focused on breaking cycles of poverty by offering humanitarian aid, empowering communities and advancing empathy, Linking the World is not your average NGO. Their methods are unique: forward-thinking partnerships that maximize the effectiveness of both parties, and innovative programs designed to render their own company's presence obsolete.

"The old models that are created by charities and donors have put pressure on organizations to raise and spend money to ensure the continuation of projects. Many charities are funding these programs just to be sustained as organizations, with programs that are not really even needed or effective but are sexy to a donor,"

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Nonprofits Must Fight Stereotypes When Using New Technologies to Save Lives

The response to the disaster made history, too: It marked the first time that unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, were used to save lives and provide relief in the aftermath of a storm.

UAVs were sent into the disaster zone to provide 3D mapping of the devastated landscape and to locate survivors. The UAVs were even loaded with supplies such as water, medicine, and radios. All of this happened before boots ever hit the ground.

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