Private Authority and Disaster Relief
The Cases of Post-Tsunami Aceh and Nias
Author: Chhandasi Pandya
Abstract:
This article explores the rise of private authority in globalized
disaster relief scenarios by looking at the case of nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) operating in Aceh and its neighboring region,
Nias, after the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The author places
the growing strength and presence of NGOs within the larger context of
weak, cash-strapped local governments under decentralization schemes
promoted by neoliberal economic policies and argues that under such
conditions, private actors such as NGOs are gaining a legitimacy of
authority once reserved exclusively for the state. In Aceh after the
tsunami, five hundred NGOs began operating relief and recovery efforts
on the island with little consultation with local Acehnese government
agencies and community organizations. The article concludes by arguing
that the example of Aceh, in which public and private parallel systems
of relief and recovery have been operating raises long-term issues of
accountability for all parties involved.
Download complete article from Taylor & Francis Online
June 2006