5 answers
Chad
Student
27
Questions
Asked
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How do humanitarian programs ensure they are effectively reaching and supporting the most vulnerable communities in times of crisis ?
There is so much happening and so many people mee help so what is going on how do they do it?
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4 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1327
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Great question, Chad! Humanitarian programs don’t just roll in like superheroes dropping aid from the sky (though that would be cool). They plan, prioritize, and strategize—like the world’s most stressed-out event coordinators. And believe me it takes a looooong loooooong time. Longer than my oos in my longs above.
First, they assess the situation—figuring out who needs help most (kids, elderly, displaced families). Then they coordinate with local groups, because let’s be real, locals know their communities better than any outsider with a clipboard.
Technology helps too—drones, satellite images, and data tracking ensure supplies aren’t just disappearing into the void. And when things get chaotic, they use triage systems, meaning the most urgent cases get help first.
Of course, no system is perfect—sometimes it’s messy, slow, or underfunded. But at the end of the day, these teams are out there doing their best to bring food, medical care, and hope—which, let’s be honest, is kind of heroic (even without the capes).
First, they assess the situation—figuring out who needs help most (kids, elderly, displaced families). Then they coordinate with local groups, because let’s be real, locals know their communities better than any outsider with a clipboard.
Technology helps too—drones, satellite images, and data tracking ensure supplies aren’t just disappearing into the void. And when things get chaotic, they use triage systems, meaning the most urgent cases get help first.
Of course, no system is perfect—sometimes it’s messy, slow, or underfunded. But at the end of the day, these teams are out there doing their best to bring food, medical care, and hope—which, let’s be honest, is kind of heroic (even without the capes).
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
Chad
Thanks for the insight, Dr. H! It’s incredible how much goes into organizing disaster relief.
One thing so how do rescue teams ensure they’re not overlooking smaller or less obvious animals during a disaster, like rodents or small wildlife?
Chad
Great question, Chad! I am not a pro to say but what I know is that During disasters, rescue teams often have to prioritize based on the immediate threat to human life, but they don’t forget the smaller critters either. While people focus on larger animals, many teams work with wildlife specialists who are trained to look out for those less obvious creatures, like rodents or small wildlife. It’s a bit of a "search and rescue" mission for everyone—human or animal. Plus, the little guys can be just as crucial for ecosystem recovery, so they're not ignored I believe!
Dr H
Thanks for the insight, Dr. H! It’s awesome to hear that the little guys aren’t forgotten in those critical moments. Happy—every creature counts when it comes to rebuilding the ecosystem!
Hope you don't mind if I bug you again in the future on this! 😏
Chad
Love that mindset, Chad! 🐛🐦 and I’m always happy to give an advice—bug away anytime! 😏🐞
Dr H
Thanks Dr. I sure will
Chad
Maria Jose Gomez Serna
Project Manager
1
Answer
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Updated
Maria Jose’s Answer
Hi Chad, I worked in an International Organization myself, and despite not being a humanitarian one, it was related to technical cooperation in agriculture.
What I can tell you is that International Organizations (humanitarian, technical cooperation, financial aid, etc.) ensure they provide the correct help to the correct people through a multidimensional approach that combines strategic planning, local knowledge, and accountability systems.
These organizations tend to identify the correct beneficiaries through partnerships with local organizations, NGOs, and governments that understand community needs. They have access to data and studies to help them make informed decisions about who needs assistance and who requires it most urgently. Additionally, technology now plays a crucial role, enabling organizations to identify affected areas through satellite or drone imagery and deliver aid faster and more efficiently.
I also wanted to highlight that accountability and monitoring mechanisms allow these organizations to track aid delivery, measure impact, and make necessary adjustments if something is not working as it should. These "check and balance" help maintain transparency and improve effectiveness.
That said, no system is perfect, (and I perfectly understand where your concern comes from) and there are instances where aid does not reach the most vulnerable people. However, in my personal opinion, the positive impacts and the success stories of these efforts far outweigh the cases where aid fails to arrive at the correct place.
What I can tell you is that International Organizations (humanitarian, technical cooperation, financial aid, etc.) ensure they provide the correct help to the correct people through a multidimensional approach that combines strategic planning, local knowledge, and accountability systems.
These organizations tend to identify the correct beneficiaries through partnerships with local organizations, NGOs, and governments that understand community needs. They have access to data and studies to help them make informed decisions about who needs assistance and who requires it most urgently. Additionally, technology now plays a crucial role, enabling organizations to identify affected areas through satellite or drone imagery and deliver aid faster and more efficiently.
I also wanted to highlight that accountability and monitoring mechanisms allow these organizations to track aid delivery, measure impact, and make necessary adjustments if something is not working as it should. These "check and balance" help maintain transparency and improve effectiveness.
That said, no system is perfect, (and I perfectly understand where your concern comes from) and there are instances where aid does not reach the most vulnerable people. However, in my personal opinion, the positive impacts and the success stories of these efforts far outweigh the cases where aid fails to arrive at the correct place.
Bob Burton
Consultant
77
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Bob’s Answer
In order to assure that one is assisting the most vulnerable, one has to be personally involved. As a member of the Board of Directors for a foundation, I led the effort to accomplish this task.
FIrst, one needs to focus upon the issue and individuals you wish to help. For example, let's assume you want to help the homeless. Then you need to narrow your focus. Homeless veterans? Homeless women? Homeless children? Homeless alcoholics? Homeless elderly? Homeless with mental or homeless with physical disabilities? Then is your focus upon housing, education, drug treatment, etcetera?
Once you have narrowed your target, you will need to identify the non profits that are focused upon the sub set of people who have the issues you wish to address. Then you can research on-line for ratings related to the efficiency and results achieved by the non profit. As a foundation executive, I would then visit the various non profits with the best record of acheivement. Board members would then speak with clients of the non-profit to be sure that they were being helped and given a better chance of success in life.
We would then ask for a proposal, from the non-profit for funding to help them to extend their support, employing the successful methodology they had experience, expertise and results with.
Should you wish to be involved in helping others, join a non-profit and work with those in need. You will learn the methodologies that work and those that do not work. Personal involvement is key.
FIrst, one needs to focus upon the issue and individuals you wish to help. For example, let's assume you want to help the homeless. Then you need to narrow your focus. Homeless veterans? Homeless women? Homeless children? Homeless alcoholics? Homeless elderly? Homeless with mental or homeless with physical disabilities? Then is your focus upon housing, education, drug treatment, etcetera?
Once you have narrowed your target, you will need to identify the non profits that are focused upon the sub set of people who have the issues you wish to address. Then you can research on-line for ratings related to the efficiency and results achieved by the non profit. As a foundation executive, I would then visit the various non profits with the best record of acheivement. Board members would then speak with clients of the non-profit to be sure that they were being helped and given a better chance of success in life.
We would then ask for a proposal, from the non-profit for funding to help them to extend their support, employing the successful methodology they had experience, expertise and results with.
Should you wish to be involved in helping others, join a non-profit and work with those in need. You will learn the methodologies that work and those that do not work. Personal involvement is key.
Heather Cowan
Career coach
8
Answers
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Updated
Heather’s Answer
Great question! The answer is not straight forward. In an ideal world extensive studying of the issue would be conducted including as much diversity and direct experience with the issue as possible. Sometimes that can happen, sometimes by the time the research is conducted, rolled out and the programs are designed, it's outdated information. Other times the need is immediate and people just do the best they can with what they know and have the power to do; while evolving as they learn on the job and/or evolve as the situation/ needs evolve.
Other times, in my country at least, programs are delivered by not for profits, but funded by the government. The government says here's who you are allowed to serve, how much you're granted to do so, what you need to do and when you need to have it done by... and also here's a heap of paperwork to submit several times a year with surprise paperwork needed with short notice to ensure you're doing what we want you to do... which isn't always what the community actually needs. So the organizations do their best to serve the community/ system needs within the confines of the funder's set guidelines and the funding amount, and funding restrictions.
IE I was part of launching an employment training program for women and gender-diverse people living in crisis shelters to recover from the violence that made them flee their homes and obtain employment to reduce strain on the social assistance system... and we were not allowed to use the government money to pay for their transportation to the various training sites, and we were not allowed to use the funding money for mental health care and we were not allowed to claim food as a program expense. This funding was specifically for this target demographic to rebuild their lives and gain employability skills to return to the workforce as they worked through recovery... while paying for their own food, transportation and mental healthcare with zero money to their name... and magically they'd just be ready to jump into the workforce with long term stable employment and live independently... So that's some of how decisions are made. The organization got creative as to how to provide food so the clients could have the capacity to learn and work on recovery efforts and eventually advocated for bus passes to be eligible expenses as well as mental healthcare, but it took over a year of advocating to get the approval on these very obvious expenses.
The other thing to realize is that there's a lot of need in the world. the more I got involved, the more I learned, the more I saw the complexity about broken systems and the impact our society contributes to damaging the ecosystem and creating cracks in society so deep that it takes significant long-term wrap-around support for someone to get out of. It takes many many many consistent steps by many people to identify, amplify and work to resolve issues. When someone geeks out over solving an issue, celebrate it. We need people excited about microbes, mice, harmful artificially manufactured contents, trauma, generational poverty, volcanoes, water protection, wind and rain, housing accessibility, materials houses are made out of, racism, energy, sexism, cultural integrity etc. We all have our roles to play.
Other times, in my country at least, programs are delivered by not for profits, but funded by the government. The government says here's who you are allowed to serve, how much you're granted to do so, what you need to do and when you need to have it done by... and also here's a heap of paperwork to submit several times a year with surprise paperwork needed with short notice to ensure you're doing what we want you to do... which isn't always what the community actually needs. So the organizations do their best to serve the community/ system needs within the confines of the funder's set guidelines and the funding amount, and funding restrictions.
IE I was part of launching an employment training program for women and gender-diverse people living in crisis shelters to recover from the violence that made them flee their homes and obtain employment to reduce strain on the social assistance system... and we were not allowed to use the government money to pay for their transportation to the various training sites, and we were not allowed to use the funding money for mental health care and we were not allowed to claim food as a program expense. This funding was specifically for this target demographic to rebuild their lives and gain employability skills to return to the workforce as they worked through recovery... while paying for their own food, transportation and mental healthcare with zero money to their name... and magically they'd just be ready to jump into the workforce with long term stable employment and live independently... So that's some of how decisions are made. The organization got creative as to how to provide food so the clients could have the capacity to learn and work on recovery efforts and eventually advocated for bus passes to be eligible expenses as well as mental healthcare, but it took over a year of advocating to get the approval on these very obvious expenses.
The other thing to realize is that there's a lot of need in the world. the more I got involved, the more I learned, the more I saw the complexity about broken systems and the impact our society contributes to damaging the ecosystem and creating cracks in society so deep that it takes significant long-term wrap-around support for someone to get out of. It takes many many many consistent steps by many people to identify, amplify and work to resolve issues. When someone geeks out over solving an issue, celebrate it. We need people excited about microbes, mice, harmful artificially manufactured contents, trauma, generational poverty, volcanoes, water protection, wind and rain, housing accessibility, materials houses are made out of, racism, energy, sexism, cultural integrity etc. We all have our roles to play.
Thank you, this is amazing! I really needed it.
Chad