An Unlikely Problem: Too Much Disaster Relief

摘要

Estimates of the toll from Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines suggest as many as 10,000 dead and 4 million displaced. A considerable global humanitarian response is under way, with the U.S., as usual, taking the lead. Worldwide, the U.S. gave $3.8 billion in postdisaster humanitarian assistance in 2012, about 29 percent of the global total. If the past is a precedent, the international community will play a vital role in limiting further deaths in the Philippines and providing short-term relief in the next few weeks.