Future-Proofing Global Emergency Response Systems

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This month marks 10 years since a 7.0-magnitude earthquake and its more than 50 aftershocks devastated Haiti and forever changed global disaster response. The tragedy that struck Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010 displaced 2.3 million people and killed at least 220,000 others.

Immediately after the earthquake, more than 20 countries, the United Nations, and an estimated 10,000 international organizations jumped to the rescue, sending people, supplies and $13.5 billion in pledges and donations. But as the humanitarian response unfurled, many began to criticize the massive influx of aid, saying it was creating more chaos and problems than it was solving. Furthermore, the long-term recovery process in Haiti blurred the lines between humanitarian relief, recovery, and development, and demonstrated that crises are increasingly complex and prolonged.

More recently, an alliance made up of eight leading U.S.-based international aid organizations, organized to increase awareness and raise funds to deliver emergency relief quickly and efficiently to save lives and help rebuild communities. This new Global Emergency Response Coalition provides a model for collective fundraising and better coordination.

What have we learned in the past 10 years that can better prepare us for future emergencies? How should international NGOs build resiliency and local partners in vulnerable areas? Can collective fundraising lead to better coordination and more effective aid? Join us for a panel discussion on what a decade of humanitarian crises has taught us about how to make global emergency relief systems more effective, nimble, and scalable.