“India Leading International HADR Cooperation in South Asia,” is the title of a paper by Dr. Deon Canyon for Security Nexus. This article emphasizes the need for India to continue developing more robust internal processes, improve inter-agency and inter-ministry cooperation, and engage more holistically with stakeholders, including civil society, as a provider in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Summary
Fueled by stable economic growth, India is stepping up as a provider of international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in South Asia and beyond. This includes supporting multilateral endeavors, resourcing and innovating sub-regional efforts, and continuing to expand bilateral engagements. As India assumes a greater leadership role in the region, its response to the Covid-19 pandemic continues to demonstrate a growing commitment to international humanitarian aid operations. Underlying India’s development of a collective and multisectoral crisis management system is a focus on improving internal processes, interoperability, and inclusion to ensure a holistic approach to the delivery of assistance in response to regional crises.

Dr. Canyon is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) in Honolulu, USA. Dr. Baker is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral. The views expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the DKI APCSS or the United States Government.

Security Nexus is a peer-reviewed, online journal published by the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.

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