Health, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Aid

Introduction

Humans should respond to both man-made and natural disasters by providing immediate assistance, conducting rescue and evacuation missions, and undertaking immediate restoration of any damaged facilities. Whether as an individual or through organization, immediate response should be provided by the areas hit by disasters. However, humanitarian agencies and non-profit organizations should be the first to respond to disasters because they have the required resources. The response provided should aim at relieving any suffering and protecting and saving human life. In case of man-made disasters, humans should respond using strategies that limit escalation and mitigate the impacts. Besides protecting human life and property, the response should also aim at safeguarding the environment. Additionally, the response should facilitate and promote self-help among the affected communities. 

Disaster responses should be funded by governments and well-wishers. States, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and inter-governmental organizations should also be at the forefront of funding the responses. However, the management of the funds should be done by governments but the organization of responses should be a responsibility of both the NGOs and government agencies. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and World Health Organization (WHO) are some of the superior organizations that provide effective responses to disasters. 

Conclusion

The UNDP is best suited to this challenge. Besides providing the immediate help needed during disasters, the organization makes follow-ups by empowering the victims and helping them build better lives. Instead of providing relief food and other basic necessities, it provides training and grants that support the needy in the underdeveloped and developing countries. It also focuses on the empowerment of women and poverty eradication (UNDP, 2010). In Macedonia, UNDP has worked with the government of that country and developed programs that gather information about how disasters affect women. The collaboration has managed to integrate gender concerns into crisis management. After the tropical storms and hurricanes experienced in Haiti in 2008, its recovery activities provided funds to women to restart their businesses (UNDP, 2010).