Relief Aid
When disaster strikes, in the form of a hurricane, earthquake, famine, or other calamity, just “showing up” isn’t enough. Forms of relief aid are necessary to provide vital resources and supplies to those in need. Relief aid typically involve providing people in need with food, water, clothing, and medical care.
Relief aid is essential in a disaster when there is large scale destruction of property, homes, and infrastructure. Humanitarian relief aid typically transfers the necessary items and services to those who require life-saving help in a disaster area. Relief aid empowers the survivors of disaster to begin the process of rebuilding lives and restoring the area to a semblance of normalcy.
Just as food, water, and shelter are necessary for everyday life, relief aid focuses on these essentials. In a disaster, provisions such as drinking water, food, tents, blankets, and other items are necessary for survival. In some cases, relief aid also includes temporary housing, assistance with food and water, medical assistance, and even emotional counseling.
Relief aid can come from the public sector, from privately raised funds, or from private donations. When relief aid comes from the public sector, government bodies often coordinate the organization of relief and recovery efforts. When relief arises through private means, international organizations, as well as a number of charitable institutions and non-governmental organizations, can often provide help in the form of medicine, food, and other relief supplies.
In addition to the direct method of providing relief aid, economists and other experts often offer ideas regarding alternative forms of help. Often, experts suggest interceding in the relief and recovery effort with economic assistance. Such assistance can come in the form of loans, trade agreements, and other forms of economic help that may be necessary for the area’s recovery.
Relief aid has to be provided quickly, efficiently, and in ample amounts. And, relief aid should be offered in a unified way that takes into account the diverse needs of the victims of the disaster. It’s essential to provide relief aid in areas where there is no clean water, no food, and no medical attention. Failure to act on these issues may result in further loss of life.
The areas hardest hit by disasters are also often those that are least well equipped to cope with the emergency. This means relief aid must come in a number of forms and be offered to meet the needs of the people in the area. In many cases, relief aid goes a long way in providing people with the basic needs of survival, and in some cases the chance of survival. Relief aid helps people rebuild their lives and restore some level of normalcy in the aftermath of a disaster.