Independent Review of the U.S. Government Response to the Haiti Earthquake

The ultimate objective of the study is to improve the U.S. Government response to global catastrophes by informing decision makers about the strengths and shortcomings of the Haiti response, and by offering recommendations about how best to organize response to major humanitarian crises. The scope of the study focused on the U.S. Government’s relief and assistance to the Haitian Government and people in responding to the disaster. Due to the circumstances surrounding the magnitude of the earthquake and the location of the epicenter, additional humanitarian and diplomatic lines of effort were required by the U.S. Government, including: providing assistance to the U.S. Embassy community; providing assistance to American citizens; and assuring general security and stability were maintained in Haiti. While this study does not review the additional lines of effort, it does take into consideration its effect on the broader U.S. relief and recovery assistance provided in Haiti.