ABSTRACT
Disasters do strike, suddenly or slowly. Outsiders who give aid may be from no farther away than the next village, or they may live on other continents and have no experience of either the people or the societies they want to help. The relationship between aid givers and receivers has received much attention. It is complex. Aid, intended to help, can often harm. Motivations of the giver are honorable, and suspect. A sizable organizational apparatus has grown up which represents the institutionalization of their concern. It involves the bilateral and multilateral aid agencies including the United Nations agencies, the international development organizations, and the non-governmental organizations from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
