Assessment of an Emergency Disaster Response to Floods in Agadez, Niger

The ubiquitous nature of disasters presents many challenges in providing effective emergency response to build community sustainability. Limited availability of resources, the need to coordinate and distribute relief aid, and the involvement of different organizations, especially at the international level, complicate policy and response efforts. The goal of this research is to model the effectiveness of emergency response provided by one sector, humanitarian organizations. This project looks at response to a flood in Agadez, Niger, and an adjacent rural community. Following the disaster, a non-governmental organization, Shelter Box, responded immediately, distributing tents, cooking utensils, and supplies to survivors. A questionnaire was conducted of 100 households that received such aid. Results show that such temporary disaster relief helped recipients feel safe, helped rebuild lives, and helped make families feel normal again. The tents and supplies had been put to various uses; many still being used as dwellings while others were stored for cooler seasons. Emergency response was particularly effective in rural areas, where supplies were utilized to the fullest extent. These baseline indicators will guide further research to determine the effectiveness of humanitarian aid under different disaster scenarios and in contrasting contexts, and hence lead to improved policies