Shifting from supply to demand: Opportunities for improving humanitarian response in urban disaster settings

Rapid onset disasters such as earthquakes and floods can destroy years of development gains. While wellcoordinated post-disaster recovery efforts by aid actors (including local and international NGOs, United Nations agencies, governments and others) can bring lasting improvements, poorly conceived and executed approaches can lead to weaknesses in efficiency, effectiveness, and impact. The situation is more complicated in urban areas where there are competing interests, a multiplicity of actors and complex governance.