The “Storms in Latin America” is a detailed account of various storm disasters in 2020. The report includes vital information from four Latin countries that influence the USAID decision-making process. The report contains various elements of assessment and analysis as described by the UNDAC handbook and OFDA Fog manual. The assessment and analysis of a disaster help understand the main problem, causes, and effects of human safety and security. All elements of a complete disaster assessment and analysis are necessary to enhance effective decision-making. This report lacks the element of pictures and graphics. This information is needed to complement the report’s narrative and establish a certain degree of trust and accountability. The report’s target audience, the USAID/BHA, are non-local humanitarian organizations whose prompt actions depend on assessing the severity of the situation in the identified disaster areas. In the two handbooks of UNDAC and OFDA, the significance of the evaluation in the disaster management process is substantial. The necessary agencies for disaster response use the reports for prompt actions; graphics and pictures paint the ideal scenario where words cannot describe in great detail.
The Latin America Storm report contains a detailed description of the USAID response to the disasters in four Latin countries. The report includes the assessment, rationale, and partnerships between various donors and government agencies in helping the victims of the storms. Besides, the report appeals to the public to assist the storm victims through a public donation drive. However, the information on other USAID programs in the larger Latin region is unnecessary in the present report. The information on the national, international, and U.S government response is not relevant in the current scenario and ought to have been excluded. Arguably, the data may not help assess the impact of the USAID intervention in the storm-hit countries of Honduras, Guatemala, Columbia, and Nicaragua (USAID, 2021). The report should have focused on intervention and challenges instead of drawing on other processes elsewhere.
The report creates a practical framework for making effective decisions on the necessary intervention to help overcome a disaster outcomes. The assessment of any intervention framework should include the scope of the problem, the affected areas or regions, the affected groups, drivers of the intervention, priority needs, vulnerabilities expected, and constraints. Furthermore, an effective report should also include a detailed analysis of relevant data and figures to aid the decision-making process. Data plays a critical role in deriving important assumptions and opinions for decision-making. Having opinions and assumptions without essential data to back them up may be undesirable in the disaster management process. The Latin America Storms report satisfies the effectiveness criteria to assist the donors in making important interventional decisions. The report starts by giving a summary of the affected numbers in each country. Afterward, the report estimates the affected landmass and the corresponding effects of the storms in monetary value. The evaluation helps determine the estimated aid needed to assist the storm victims (United Nations, 2018). Thus, the report is effective in influencing the decision-making process for the USAID/BHA to intervene in the Latin America Storm disasters.
References
United Nations. (2018). United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Handbook. UN.
USAID. (2021). Latin America – Storms. USAID.