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DOD and NGOs in Haiti ‐ A Successful Partnership
Author(s) -
James Terbush,
Cubano Miguel
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
world medical and health policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.326
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 1948-4682
DOI - 10.1515/1948-4682.1193
Subject(s) - general partnership , specialty , disaster response , public relations , political science , public administration , emergency management , economic growth , medicine , family medicine , economics , law
The 2010 Haiti Earthquake was the deadliest single disaster in this Hemisphere, ever. International Aid Organizations and Governments rushed to assist the survivors. Among these, the US Department of Defense played a significant role. Alongside DoD however were a large number of NGO volunteers onboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship, which provided critical specialty skills. This partnership, DoD and NGOs, has already demonstrated significant benefit in lives saved and suffering mitigated. Various lessons learned are noted and recommendations for improvement in the way NGOs are sourced and integrated for these missions. However, the greatest benefit could be in future disaster response when synergies developed from combined training and exercises allow DoD and NGOs to respond seamlessly and effectively to another major disaster, together.