Dara - NEWS

The 2008 Humanitarian Response Index Is Underway

Peru and Nicaragua, first assessed emergencies

Although the launching of 2007 Humanitarian Response Index (HRI) is still in recent memory, DARA is beginning to work on the 2008 HRI. The first humanitarian emergencies assessed for the next edition were the earthquake that devastated multiple regions of Peru last August, and Hurricane Felix that hit Central America, specifically Nicaragua.

Two teams from DARA assessed in situ the quality of the humanitarian responses to both natural disasters. To this end, meetings were held with the main actors in the area, such as representatives of the United Nations system, international and national NGOs, donors, officials from local governments and those who in one way or another participated in the immediate response to the catastrophes. Nearly two hundred questionnaires were completed with detailed information on the actions carried out at the time.

Ten years after Hurricane Mitch devastated Central America, Hurricane Felix did the same in Nicaragua, leaving more than 40,000 victims behind. The earthquake in Peru, on the other hand, affected a total of 80,000 people. The management of both crises will now be analysed, identifying positive and negative aspects, in order to move toward best practices. The lessons learned from this analysis will allow for recommendations to be made for similar situations in the future.

DARA’s team will continue assessing humanitarian crises which took place in 2007 in order to prepare the next edition of the Humanitarian Response Index. Nicaragua and Peru will be followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Chad, Somalia and Kenya, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Haiti and Colombia.