Global development professionals working in earthquake-hit Nepal must listen to local communities to ensure their needs are met, the U.N. emergency relief coordinator has urged.
After returning from a visit to the disaster zone, where 8.1 million people require humanitarian assistance, Valerie Amos — speaking to Devex before a second 7.3-magnitude quake hit the country May 12 — said that communicating with affected districts was “critical” during the crisis.
“Communities have their own coping mechanisms for dealing with disasters and it is important that support given by international organizations does not duplicate what people are already doing,” she said.
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About the author
Gabriella Jóźwiak@GabriellaJ
Gabriella Jóźwiak is an award-winning journalist based in London. Her work on issues and policies affecting children and young people in developing countries and the U.K. has been published in national newspapers and magazines. Having worked in-house for domestic and international development charities, Jóźwiak has a keen interest in organizational development, and has worked as a journalist in several countries across West Africa and South America.
