From disaster relief to development assistance: Why simple solutions don’t work
| Author | François Audet |
| Published date | 01 March 2015 |
| Date | 01 March 2015 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0020702014562595 |
| Subject Matter | Policy Brief |
International Journal
2015, Vol. 70(1) 110–118
!The Author(s) 2014
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DOI: 10.1177/0020702014562595
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Policy Brief
From disaster relief to
development assistance:
Why simple solutions
don’t work
Franc¸ois Audet
Universite
´du Que
´bec a
`Montre
´al, Montreal, QC, Canada
Abstract
The emergency–development continuum, also known as ‘‘linking relief, rehabilitation,
and development’’ (LRRD), has been a conceptual, institutional, and programmatic pre-
occupation for aid organizations and humanitarian policymakers for well over two
decades. The objective of this short paper is to introduce the idea of the emer-
gency–development continuum and, only partly ironically, to advance the notion that
we should not bother with it: operationally, it has done more harm than good, driving
the work of humanitarian organizations in directions that run counter to the interests of
the people they are trying to serve.
Keywords
Humanitarianism, humanitarian policy, emergency continuum, bureaucratic division,
LRRD
The conceptual process of linking relief, rehabilitation, and development has
preoccupied aid organizations and humanitarian policymakers for well over two
decades. At one level, the linkage is straightforward: after all, citizens of a still-
developing country ravaged by a national emergency (a tsunami, for example)
cannot be expected to simply resume their previous lives once the disaster has
ended. Their society will lack the infrastructure to rebuild quickly enough on its
own. It follows that ‘‘disaster relief’’ will not be enough, and that governments and
international agencies seeking to provide real aid will have to extend their assist-
ance by investing in longer-term ‘‘development’’ objectives. Nonetheless, perhaps
in part because it was derived primarily from thinking in the humanitarian
Corresponding author:
Franc¸ois Audet, Universite
´du Que
´bec a
`Montre
´al – Management and Technology, Case postal 8888, succ.
Centre Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada.
Email: audet.francois@uqam.ca
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