The divergent paths of post-quake Nepal and Haiti – The Hierarchical System for Emergency Mitigation as a determinant for emergency humanitarian aid coordination

Natural disasters have always been extremely disruptive events, destroying thousands of lives and homes without warning, killing hundreds, and threatening to plunge into disarray entire societies unprepared to deal with the disaster. Since the early 2000s, scholars have been creating several models that have been determined to be appropriate systems of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters, particularly natural disasters. One of the most well-known models is the Hierarchical System for Emergency Mitigation, or the HSEM model. It is considered one of the most adaptable and logical models for disaster management. Using the HSEM model, this paper will compare the preparation for, response to, and recovery from the earthquake in Haiti of 2010 with the earthquake in Nepal of 2015, focusing on the efforts of the Red Cross and USAID.