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Working with local people

Many previous approaches used by external agencies to engage local people have been met with criticism.

In Pakistan, the national disaster management structure was undergoing a period of change.

The new disaster management authority was still under development, local government agencies struggled to understand their new responsibilities and mobilise sufficient capacity, and in many districts there were issues of public trust and confidence in elected local government.

Watch the video above to see some more of the challenges faced by response agencies trying to meet the needs of those in Pakistan with limited resources and time.

Your task

What socio-cultural and environmental differences should influence the humanitarian interventions in the different parts of flood-affected Pakistan? Post your thoughts in the comments area.
Some examples are given in this paper:
Arai, T. (2012) ‘Rebuilding Pakistan in the Aftermath of the Floods: Disaster Relief as Conflict Prevention’. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development [online] 7 (1), 51-65. available from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15423166.2012.719331 [28 April 2020]
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Humanitarian Action, Response and Relief

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