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Where is the money? Post-disaster foreign aid flows

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  • Becerra, Oscar
  • Cavallo, Eduardo
  • Noy, Ilan

Abstract

This paper describes the flows of aid after large catastrophic natural disasters by using the extensive record of bilateral aid flows, by aid sector, available through the OECD's Development Assistance Committee. For each large donor, the extent of cross-sector reallocation is identified that is occurring in the aftermath of large disasters whereby humanitarian aid increases but other types of aid may decrease. The evidence in this paper suggests that the expectation of large surges in post-disaster aid flows is not warranted given the past diversity of experience of global foreign post-disaster aid by donor and by event. No evidence is found, however, that donors reallocate aid between recipient countries (cross-recipient reallocation). These observations suggest that countries which are predicted to face increasing losses from natural disasters in the coming decades (and almost all are) should be devoting significant resources to prevention, insurance and mitigation, rather than expecting significant post-disaster aid inflows.

Suggested Citation

  • Becerra, Oscar & Cavallo, Eduardo & Noy, Ilan, 2015. "Where is the money? Post-disaster foreign aid flows," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(5), pages 561-586, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:endeec:v:20:y:2015:i:05:p:561-586_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Diana De Alwis & Ilan Noy, 2019. "Sri Lankan households a decade after the Indian Ocean tsunami," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 1000-1026, May.
    2. Ilan Noy & Christopher Edmonds, 2019. "Increasing fiscal resilience to disasters in the Pacific," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 97(3), pages 1375-1393, July.
    3. Eichenauer, Vera Z. & Fuchs, Andreas & Kunze, Sven & Strobl, Eric, 2020. "Distortions in aid allocation of United Nations flash appeals: Evidence from the 2015 Nepal earthquake," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    4. Susana Ferreira, 2024. "Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: Economic Impacts and Adaptation Policies," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 16(1), pages 207-231, October.
    5. Devendra Kumar Jain & Asif Chida & R. D. Pathak & Raghbendra Jha & Stephanie Russell, 2022. "Climate risk insurance in Pacific Small Island Developing States: possibilities, challenges and vulnerabilities—a comprehensive review," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 1-21, March.
    6. Mohammad Reza Farzanegan & Sven Fischer, 2025. "The impact of a large-scale natural disaster on local economic activity: evidence from the 2003 Bam earthquake in Iran," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(3), pages 1409-1428, March.
    7. Cavallo, Eduardo A. & Gómez, Santiago & Noy, Ilan & Strobl, Eric, 2024. "Climate Change, Hurricanes, and Sovereign Debt in the Caribbean Basin," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 13351, Inter-American Development Bank.
    8. Ilan Noy & Christopher Edmonds, 2016. "The Economic and Fiscal Burdens of Disasters in the Pacific," CESifo Working Paper Series 6237, CESifo.
    9. Ryota Nakatani, 2019. "A Possible Approach to Fiscal Rules in Small Islands — Incorporating Natural Disasters and Climate Change," IMF Working Papers 2019/186, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Luis Ballesteros & Aline Gatignon, 2019. "The relative value of firm and nonprofit experience: Tackling large‐scale social issues across institutional contexts," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(4), pages 631-657, April.
    11. Ilan Noy, 2016. "Natural disasters in the Pacific Island Countries: new measurements of impacts," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 84(1), pages 7-18, November.
    12. Ryota Nakatani, 2021. "Fiscal Rules for Natural Disaster- and Climate Change-Prone Small States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-26, March.
    13. Andreas Fuchs & Hannes Öhler, 2021. "Does private aid follow the flag? An empirical analysis of humanitarian assistance," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 671-705, March.
    14. Balaei, Behrooz & Noy, Ilan & Wilkinson, Suzanne & Potangaroa, Regan, 2021. "Economic factors affecting water supply resilience to disasters," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. Ilan Noy & Christopher Edmonds, 2016. "The Economic and Fiscal Burdens of Disasters in the Pacific," CESifo Working Paper Series 6237, CESifo.
    16. Diana De Alwis & Ilan Noy, 2019. "Sri Lankan households a decade after the Indian Ocean tsunami," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 1000-1026, May.

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