Humanitarian Response to Natural Disasters

Response to Amber Young

Your article identifies and describes Hurricane Katrina as a natural disaster that affected people’s lives and property. As your pointed out, the disaster claimed the lives of over 1,800 people. However, you did not discuss the public health crisis that emerged as a result of the disaster. Hurricane Katrina did not only claim the lives of hundreds of people but also created a public health emergency that involved response from various stakeholders including FEMA. In addition, you talked about how the response to the disaster was slow without specifying what kind of humanitarian response was adopted by the respective agencies. The humanitarian response to this disaster included providing relief like food and medical supplies and evacuation.

Response to John Murphy

The Tornado Super Outbreak in Alabama in 2011 is a natural disaster that changed the lives of many people. Natural disasters are mostly associated with loss of lives and damage to property (Katz & Banaski, 2018). In this case, this disaster resulted in 321 deaths and damage to property worth more than $12 billion as stated in your article. Despite discussing how this disaster affected people’s lives, you did not discuss the ensuing public health crisis. Nonetheless, you discussed humanitarian response strategies adopted by various stakeholders including local churches and organizations. Some of these strategies included providing relief such as food and shelter, clearing roadways, homes, and businesses of debris, and rebuilding initiatives.

Response to Kesley Howe

Tornadoes are examples of natural disasters that occur in various areas across the country such as in the State of Alabama in 2011. As evident in your article, these disasters cause significant disruptions to people’s lives. A public health emergency, damage to property, and loss of lives are some of the devastating impacts of tornadoes. In the case of Alabama, the devastating impacts of the disaster include the death of 248 people and more than 2,000 people injured. Your article does not explicitly discuss the humanitarian response to this natural disaster but instead examines how FEMA can enhance its response structure. The article discusses gaps in emergency response to the disaster but fails to specify initiatives undertaken by the various stakeholders or agencies to respond to the disaster. I believe that the humanitarian response to this disaster included providing relief, evacuation, and rebuilding.