Social funds and relief for climate change Social Funds, Relief, and the Politics of Disaster Why this chapter matters When a cyclone hits or monsoon floods surge , the need for immediate aid is critical. Picture a mother, clutching her child, waiting on a flooded rooftop for tarps, safe water, and cash for food or transport. Her resilience demonstrates why speed and integrity in disaster relief are crucial. Governments and aid agencies must act quickly. However, speed without safeguards can lead to favoritism, kickbacks, and 'ghost' beneficiaries. Help gets diverted, trust erodes, and next time, fewer heed the siren's call (IFRC, 2025). Relief leakage and procurement abuse are not victimless. They lead to hunger, untreated illness, polluted wells, and unsafe shelter. Audits and watchdog research from the Philippines and Bangladesh, along with open contracting reforms, demonstrate both the failures of relief and how social funds and rapid contracting can maintain integri...
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