How can the United States and Europe improve the effectiveness and impact of their humanitarian assistance efforts? A team of scholars and practitioners led by the Global Public Policy Institute and the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University conducted field-based empirical research and engaged policymakers to improve U.S.-European cooperation in four key areas of humanitarian assistance: linking relief, rehabilitation, and development; applying best practices and lessons learned; improving business engagement in emergency relief and preparedness; and considering civil-military relations in disaster response.

The authors provide an in-depth analysis of the current state of the humanitarian policy debate and the relevant institutional setup in the EU and the U.S. They compare doctrines, programming principles, and geographical and sectoral priorities and propose areas where these principles and priorities can be made coherent. They also offer specific recommendations for greater transatlantic coherence and effectiveness.

Contents include

Part One: Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development
Case Studies
Southern Sudan
North Kivu
Afghanistan
Chad

Part Two: Approaches to Implementing Lessons Learned in Humanitarian Assistance
Case Studies
Gender in Nepal
Gender in Darfur
Strengthening Local Capacity in Nicaragua
Strengthening Local Capacity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Part Three: Business Engagement in Emergency Relief and Preparedness
Case Studies
Humanitarian Firms
Insuring Against Disasters
Humanitarian Assistance and Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility in Emergency Preparedness

Part Four: Civil-Military Relations in Disaster Response
Case Studies
Civil-Military Relations in Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Next Emergency in Kosovo
Response to the 2004 Tsunami