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The Spanish humanitarian response in Haiti

24/08/2009 By Soledad Posada, Velina G. Stoianova

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The overwhelming magnitude of last summer’s crisis in Haiti exacerbated the already dramatic food security situation in the country, following the global rise of fuel and food prices since the beginning of the year. Following this devastating combination of events, the emergency response of the international humanitarian community, particularly the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development, were key for saving lives and alleviating human suffering in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. 

Spanish humanitarian aid, unlike that of most donors, was not concentrated in the city of Gonaïves, which constituted a critical factor for the provision of a balanced response to the country's widespread humanitarian needs. Even more decisive was the role of the Spanish Cooperation’s Logistics Humanitarian Centre in Panama, which not only managed Spanish bilateral humanitarian aid in a fairly efficient way, but also constituted a platform for the inter-agency response to the Haiti emergency.

This working paper by Velina G. Stoianova and Soledad Posada argues that, despite the excellent political will and technical efforts, there are several issues, concerning both the direct distribution of humanitarian aid by the Spanish Cooperation and its emergency funding mechanisms, which need to be closely reviewed and thoroughly rethought in order to assure an increased quality and effectiveness of Spanish humanitarian action.

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Keywords

Aid management Aid policy Civil society Haiti Humanitarian action Humanitarian aid Spain

Bio author: Soledad Posada

Soledad Posada works as evaluation researcher at DARA (Development Assistance Research Associates) and has conducted a number of assessments and evaluations in Haiti, Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa

Bio author: Velina G. Stoianova

Holds a BA in Political Science and Public Administration, with a specialisation in International Relations, from the Universidad Autónoma of Barcelona. She has done studies on the analysis and management of conflicts in the Balkans, the Near East and the Maghreb.