UN Aid for Hurricane Katrina

October, 2004 -- Last month we all watched in horror as Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc along the Gulf coast, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes, displacing nearly one million people and causing the death toll to rise over 1000.  In the wake of such catastrophe, the international response has been incredible: over 150 countries and institutions worldwide have contributed to the hurricane relief efforts.  Offers ranged from a German telecommunications network to Kuwait’s $500 million pledge to Swedish water-purification systems.

Immediately following the hurricane, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan offered “any assistance the United Nations can give.”  Currently, a UN logistics team stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base is helping the U.S. organize international assistance. The UN’s ability to rapidly respond to complex emergencies like Hurricane Katrina is unparalleled, providing specialized, trained personnel and experienced aid coordination tested from country to country.  The Indian Ocean tsunami and, now, Hurricane Katrina display the worldwide human vulnerability to natural disasters, and reaffirm the need for the US to work within such international institutions to confront the global problems that no one country – not even the U.S. – can solve alone.

Agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Program (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are already providing invaluable assistance to hurricane victims.  UNICEF is organizing the distribution of hundreds of “School-in-a-Box” kits to displaced children, acknowledging the need for school supplies and importance of education despite the disruption that the hurricane has caused.  Charles J. Lyons, President for the US Fund for UNICEF stated, “Whether in Biloxi, Mississippi or Banda Aceh, Indonesia, having a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment for learning, sharing and creation will go a long way towards helping children recover and cope with the trauma and transition imposed by a natural disaster.” 

The UN is great at providing relief efforts after the fact, but it is also working to mitigate the impact of future catastrophes on populations worldwide.  For example, the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) are practical measures in helping to eradicate global poverty.  Regrettably, during times of disaster, the poor suffer the most.   During Hurricane Katrina, 28% of New Orleans residents were trapped in the storm, many of whom could not afford to evacuate. UN relief efforts along the Gulf Coast today are playing a critical role in aiding the less fortunate locally, and by supporting the MGDs, the United States is helping the poor globally as well.  While we might not be able to predict the next natural disaster, the MGDs present concrete steps all countries can take to help the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Following the Indian Ocean tsunami, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also proposed establishing a global natural disaster warning system.  The International Early Warning Program (IEWP) will expand on existing national and regional capacity to alert populations to natural disasters early, allowing them time to take life-saving measures. 

These are the kinds of global initiatives that require the cooperation of all countries working together through the United Nations. The UN embodies humanity’s hopes for global peace and stability and the advancement of shared human values, by bringing nations together to solve problems.  The UN’s capacity to amass programs and experts in various fields has aided in countless disaster situations and conflicts, and Hurricane Katrina is but one of many cases.  In this increasingly interconnected world, the U.S. needs to work together in cooperation with the countries of the world and support the one venue where this is possible – the UN.  After the widespread international response to Hurricane Katrina, there is an important opportunity for the US to make a substantial and sustained commitment to the United Nations and international cooperation. US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, expressed her gratitude: "The United Nations has mobilized their disaster experts. I want to thank Secretary General Kofi Annan for that. Their people are sitting with our people in Washington to plan out UN support." 

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