In our opinion: Disaster relief can sometimes be a disaster
Friday marked the start of a new hurricane season, and with it came a fresh look at the ongoing aftermath of last year’s storms. Cleanup efforts, it appears, still have miles to go, suggesting it’s time to reconsider the structure of national disaster relief programs.
Any mention of “Katrina” instantly conjures images of 24/7 coverage of helicopter rescues and flooded levees, while “Sandy” might evoke the eerie image of an extinguished
The point is not to express glib comparative crisis outrage. Negating one instance of suffering by elevating another is never useful, nor is it compassionate. Instead, what should be identified is the dysfunction of existing federal disaster management efforts as evidenced through a stark disparity in crisis response across the country.
The 2017 hurricanes Maria (in
In
In both cases, victims lament the bureaucratic red tape keeping them from accessing federal disaster funding, citing inane rules like requirements for pre-existing flood insurance as a barrier to needed assistance. This is evidence of the problem of centralizing assistance in a federal government that does not have the realistic capacity to assist. As the
Bound up in partisan debates in
In light of this, the federal government should revise the bureaucratic structure of its emergency response, empowering states and local decision-makers to call the shots in sensitive situations where communication is limited. Ensuring that all locales have the adequate support and funding to make those choices is essential in closing the gaps in support between wealthy, urban areas and disadvantaged regions.
Avoiding disaster is up to the whims of Mother Nature, but preparing for one and rebuilding in its wake falls on communities and disaster relief programs. Allowing those efforts to spring from the direct needs of those in crisis will better offer hope and help to those devastated by the worst of the weather.
CREDIT:
Op-ed: A future of less suffering and more care
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