HPG Publishes Report on Humanitarian Needs Assessment

The Humanitarian Policy Group has synthesized information from a report on needs assessments and decision making in the international humanitarian system into a briefing paper that explores how responses by the international humanitarian system can be judged proportionate and appropriate to the needs of those affected by disaster and conflict. It offers a critical examination of current practices in needs assessment and decision-making, looking at key elements of the current system and how it functions as a whole. Download the report at www.odi.org.uk/hpg/papers/hpgreport15.pdf and the briefing paper from www.odi.org.uk/hpg/publications.html

Disaster Prevention: Keys to Success in Central America

Several municipalities in Central America are adopting innovative risk management and prevention measures to reduce their vulnerability to disasters. Raising awareness of these keys to success is the focus of a joint IDB, FEMICA, CEPREDENAC project. As a starting point, model practices were identified in several municipalities in Honduras (San Pedro Sula y la Mamuca), El Salvador (San Salvador) y Nicaragua (Estelí y Managua). These practices were captured to produce a tool kit which is being used to train municipal mayors in these three countries. The municipalities, in turn, will train community leaders and members of local emergency committees in their municipalities. The project will conclude by evaluating the impact of the activities. For more information, contact Angela Funez at angelaf@contractual.iadb.org, or visit www.femica.org

GDIN Meeting Rescheduled for March 2004

The Global Disaster Information Network meeting, originally scheduled for this November, will take place in Washington, D.C. in March 2004. For more information or to register for GDIN 2004 visit www.gdin.org and look for the GDIN 2004 logo.

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