Law and legal issues in international disaster response: a desk study

Though little discussed, legal barriers can be as obstructive to effective international
disaster relief operations as high winds or washed-out roads. 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.
These problems often lead to disaster-affected communities not receiving the
right aid at the right time, delivered in the right way.

This desk study compiles the findings of the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent’s research and consultations with stakeholders over the last few years
about existing legal frameworks and regulatory problems in international disaster response.
It draws on over two dozen legal and operational case studies, a wide-ranging
global survey of major stakeholders, and the discussions in a series of formal regional
forums including high level representatives of governments, National Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies, UN agencies, NGOs and other interested parties.