[Radix] US International Disaster Response Policy?

[George Kent]

Brian, I think that on the whole the US government's response to  
emergencies in other countries is good, not "too little, too late." It  
moves quickly and generously. I have not identified patterns of  
political discrimination in the targeting of disaster assistance from  
the US.

Also, I think it is unfair for anyone to criticize the US alone, when  
the responsibility should fall on the international community as a  
whole. Of course the US should have a large role in it because it has  
the resources. However, there is no reason to expect the US to  
shoulder the responsibility all by itself.

You said, "If there is a policy in place, then the government can be  
held accountable for the shortcomings it is accused of." Are you  
suggesting that people outside the US should be able to hold the US  
government accountable for failures to follow its internal policy?  
That doesn't make sense to me.

I believe the US avoids accepting any formal international obligations  
regarding international humanitarian assistance. I think it should  
accept such obligations, but in the context of a broad international  
agreement regarding rights and obligations for IHA. I say more about  
the need to balance rights and obligations in IHA in a current issue  
of the Natural Hazards Observer, available at     http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/o/archives/2010/jan_observerweb.pdf

Aloha, George

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Professor George Kent
Department of Political Science
2424 Maile Way, Saunders 610
University of Hawai'i
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822
USA

Phone:    1 808 396-9422
Cell:         1 808 389-9422
Fax:          1 808 956-6877
Email:       kent at hawaii.edu
Website:   http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kent
Skype ID: geokent



On Jan 18, 2010, at 5:24 PM, Brian G. McAdoo wrote:

> Colleagues,
>
> The US has come under increasing criticism for its relatively slow  
> response to the Haitian disaster.  On the one hand, countries as far  
> afield as China (geographically) and Iceland (economically) seemed  
> to respond faster than the Obama administration.  On the other hand,  
> however, it is much easier to mobilize half-a-million band-aids than  
> it is a fully equipped floating hospital.
>
> So, Does the US have a policy concerning where, when, how much and  
> how fast aid is delivered during the course of a disaster?  Does the  
> US Government keep a stockpile of supplies in case of a disaster?   
> Or are the reserves truly being drained by the ongoing wars in Iraq  
> and Afghanistan?  Why $100 M, and not $10 M or $1 B?  Would a  
> similar package been offered to Cuba or Venezuela, had the disaster  
> happened there?  Would the Marines been brought in for supposed riot  
> control had the disaster occurred in the Virgin Islands?
>
> If there is a policy in place, then the government can be held  
> accountable for the shortcomings it is accused of.  If there isn't a  
> policy in place, should there be, or is it better off as a case-by- 
> case basis because of the geophysical and geopolitical complexity of  
> disasters?
>
> Thank you for your thoughts,
>
> Brian
>
> -- 
> Brian G. McAdoo
> Program Chair
> Department of Earth Science and Geography
> Box 735
> Vassar College
> Poughkeepsie, NY  12604
>
> 845.249.9561 m
> 845.437.7703 w
>
> Office hours: T 10-11; Th 2-3
>
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