Enhancing the Effectiveness and Quality of International Disaster Assistance : International and Regional Initiatives to Support Affected States

Panelists in this panel discussion consist of:

Beat von Däniken, Chief of Staff, Deputy Head of Humanitarian Aid, Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation
• H.E. Evan P. Garcia, Philippine Ambassador, Geneva
• Xavier Castellanos, Director for the Americas, International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• Ed Schenkenberg van Mierop, Executive Director, International Council of
Voluntary Agencies
• Rudolf Muller, Chief Emergency Services Branch, Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, Geneva.

With the growing frequency - and intensity - of natural disasters around the world, as government can be quickly overwhelmed by the scale and suddenness of an emergency. No matter how well prepared and resourced, this may be the case even in highly-developed countries as has been witnessed in 2011. Recourse to international assistance may well be essential, in a time-critical emergency, to ensure that sufficient rescue and relief efforts can be launched, not only to save lives, but to meet urgent humanitarian needs, minimize the long-term impact and restore essential services.