Volume 17 Issue 2, 2002

Australian Aid: making a difference in times of disaster.

AusAID

AusAID demonstrates how the Australian Government, through its overseas aid agency, has responded to different emergencies throughout the world.


Archived Article


Abstract

Disasters can occur anywhere, anytime. They may be in the form of a natural event such as a cyclone or an earthquake or as a man-made phenomenon. In the case of a natural event, often there is no warning. Loss of life is almost inevitable and the social and economic costs can be heavy. Some nations are better equipped to manage disasters than others. The reasons are varied. Factors such as political and economic stability, sophisticated technology and an informed and educated public can combine to avert disasters or limit the damage caused by them. This paper outlines how the Australian Government, through its overseas aid agency AusAID, has responded to disasters in different parts of the world, drawing on the expertise of its own staff, of other government agencies and of non-government organisations