Strengthening coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the UN
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Valerie Amos
Consistent and timely sharing of information between different groups and agencies is essential to insure that the right decisions are made by the right people at the right time, according to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos told a panel meeting on Thursday to discuss "Improving capacities for evidence-based humanitarian decision-making" that data must be shared in order to provide the best possible disaster relief assistance.
"The whole issue of evidence-based decision making is one I know which is a topic of concern to some because there are some big questions about who owns the data. How will it be used? Will data be used in a negative way?"
(Duration: 21")
Ms. Amos said that governments and humanitarian agencies must do more to insure that data is disseminated and shared. She pointed to Haiti as an example of how hundreds of aid organizations can try and help, but without coordination, the efforts can become hampered.
