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Lessons for Response

What can we learn from humanitarian responses to previous crises?

ALNAP was founded to improve humanitarian performance through increased learning. To help make this goal a reality, ALNAP publishes Lessons Papers, laying out the lessons of previous humanitarian responses in a concise and readable format. These Lessons Papers are aimed at staff designing and evaluating humanitarian responses, and are largely based on evaluation findings. To date, ALNAP's Lessons Papers look at earthquakes, floods, urban conflicts and disasters, droughts and epidemics.

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Earthquakes

Floods

Urban Conflicts and Disasters

Drought

Specific Crises

Earthquakes

ALNAP's Lessons Papers draw out learning for those responding to earthquakes, providing lessons around both technical delivery and strategy and management. They present key approaches to providing relief for those affected by the crisis, but also the need to factor in preparation for potential future earthquakes.

Floods

Continued population growth in areas at risk of flooding and the increasing severity of weather patterns due to climate change mean that the number of flood disasters is likely to continue going up. Many of general lessons that apply to other types of humanitarian response (such as the need to consult the affected population) also apply to floods. But what makes floods difference is their long term impact, whether through sustained waterlogging or their impact on livelihoods. ALNAP's Lessons Papers present lessons learned from previous flood responses in developing countries, based on a structured review of the literature.

Urban Conflicts and Disasters

Many humanitarian organisations often have more experience of disaster response in rural settings, and this is further complicated by the fact that towns and cities are dense and highly complex environments. The result is that humanitarian responses in urban environments are faced by a wide variety of unique challenges. Additionally, rapid urban growth and a potentially increased threat to cities from extreme weather events mean that humanitarians will likely increasingly be responding to urban crises. ALNAP's Lessons Papers examine the distinct features unique to humanitarian response in urban environments, looking both at natural disasters and conflict.

Resource

14 Jan 2014

ALNAP Lessons Paper: Humanitarian Interventions in Settings of Urban Violence (Arabic)

Lucchi, E.

ALNAP

Drought

Drought can impact people's lives in variety of ways and, beyond its direct effects, can increase the risk of conflict over scarce natural resources. This means that, when responding to drought crises, humanitarians should be prepared to work closely with national governments across sectors and countries to meet the needs of drought-affected populations. ALNAP's Lesson Paper on humanitarian action in drought-related emergencies provides 17 lessons, including the importance of effective early warning systems and the need to recognise the recurrent nature of droughts.