The Influence of Humanitarian Assistance on Post-Disaster Social Vulnerabilities: Early Reflection on the Nepal Earthquake 2015.

Reducing vulnerabilities has become a central concern for humanitarian actors, as annually thousands of people facing unequal access to resources and power, are repeatedly harmed in disasters. This paper analyses the impact that humanitarian assistance had on vulnerabilities in Nepal following the 2015 earthquake. Applying the Pressure and Release (PAR) model, the causes and manifestations of vulnerability pre- and post-disaster are determined through a mixed method approach. The results show that 20 months after the earthquake, humanitarian assistance has not had any long-term positive influences on its root causes, while vulnerabilities on the micro level could be partly resolved. However, to reduce the extent of future disasters, the reasons leading to vulnerability have to be better addressed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.