title: Barriers to disaster coordination: health sector coordination in Banda Aceh following the South Asia Tsunami.
abstract: Ecological disasters impact large populations every year, and hundreds of nongovernmental organizations, thousands of aid workers, and billions of dollars are sent in response. Yet, there have been recurring problems with coordination, leading to wasted efforts and funds. The humanitarian response to the December 2004 Earthquake and Tsunami in Asia was one of the largest ever, and coordination problems were apparent. The coordination processes and attempts at coordination are discussed in this paper. Specific barriers to cooperation are discussed, such as weak leadership, the absence of accountability, the lack of credentialing, the diverse goals of the responding agencies, and the weaknesses in the coordination process itself.
authors.affiliation: Intercommunity Emergency Medical Group, Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital of Whittier, 12401 East Washington Blvd., Whittier, CA 90602, USA rzoraster@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zoraster
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004190:Disasters; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007391:International Cooperation; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*