Relief body urges world action to end aid holdups

The world Red Cross and Red Crescent body on Monday urged governments in poorer countries to help save lives in natural disasters by changing laws to end holdups in delivery of relief aid.

The body, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), proposed guidelines for handling emergencies which it said would also help ensure that humanitarian organisations observed global standards.

"Though little discussed, legal barriers can be as obstructive to effective international disaster relief operations as high winds or washed out roads," a new report from the IFRC said.

"At the same time, the absence of regulation where it is needed can contribute to a response that is uncoordinated, wasteful and inadequately respectful to beneficiaries and domestic relief actors," it added.

The IFRC said the non-binding guidelines, which include definitions of what constitutes a disaster and what an aid organisation is, will be presented to governments for adoption at a conference in Geneva at the end of this month.

They set out the responsibilities of both states receiving aid and of outside bodies providing relief assistance.


SLOW PROCEDURES

Among problems cited in the report were long customs procedures -- and sometimes high tariffs -- involving perishables like food and medicines, and vehicles and telecommunications equipment vital to a relief effort.

Others included visa restrictions on humanitarian workers, delays in recognition of foreign medical credentials, and slow procedures for non-national relief bodies needing to set up bank accounts or hire local staff in disaster-affected countries.

"Most governments are still leaving all the details of regulating international disaster relief to the last minute," IFRC deputy secretary-general Ibrahim Osman told a news conference to launch the report.

This led to normal rules, including customs tariffs and demands for clearance and warehouse payment before goods are released, being enforced in emergency situations, he said.

The report, "Law and Legal Issues in International Disaster Response," said some aid providers cause problems by failing to respect the primary role of the authorities and national relief bodies in affected countries.