When it comes to emergency response, trust the experts.

I can’t even count the number of times this has happened to me.

A natural disaster hits somewhere in the world. Big-hearted people with the best of intentions reach out. “We’re collecting (fill in the blank … clothes, blankets, toys, medicine, water, etc.). Can you help us get it there?"

Please, I say, just collect money. Give it to the professionals. Let them procure what is really needed as close to the source as possible. It will be far more efficient and effective, far more targeted at real needs and there will be so much less waste.

I remember visiting a hospital warehouse in Indonesia after the area was badly hit by a tsunami. It was filled with so many supplies shipped in from all over that were not needed in its community. Rather than being able to focus attention on urgent care, hospital leaders were seeking funds to build an incinerator to get rid of it all.

Good intentions created an unnecessary burden.

As the calendar turns to August, we are entering the height of what could be one of history’s most dangerous hurricane seasons in the Atlantic basin. Already in June, Hurricane Beryl was the strongest storm to ever develop that early in the season.

We are so grateful for the selfless, generous and giving spirit of those who see children and families impacted by storms, drought and conflict and want to help. We are also grateful for the experienced humanitarian workers who have studied, trained and been equipped to respond quickly in even the most difficult settings.

The magic happens when we can connect the two: the generous with the genuine experts; the caring people willing to share what they have with the careful responders who know how to access and deploy the right relief supplies.  

The currency we need passing between the two is cash. Money. Funding. That’s what makes effective relief response possible.

Professional humanitarian workers at UNICEF and elsewhere engage affected communities to understand the most pressing needs. They know where to access the most appropriate—culturally and in other ways—supplies. And they build in feedback loops to modify the products and services provided based on the changing environment.

That’s the way to ensure funding has the biggest impact.

Here’s an example. In late 2022, UNICEF launched Kits That Fit to empower individuals to voice their feedback about UNICEF’s emergency supplies—what they need and their thoughts about the supplies they received.

Kits That Fit is a multi-language, anonymized platform community members can access via QR code, text or phone. UNICEF uses its established digital channels (U-Report, RapidPro, etc.) for feedback collection amongst local groups and also distributes paper surveys when digital access isn’t feasible. The feedback allows UNICEF to know what children, caretakers and communities think about the supplies they receive and use it for continuous improvement.

In 2023, UNICEF piloted the platform in Kenya, Palestine, Türkiye and Ukraine, receiving thousands of inputs that helped update and refine the contents of UNICEF emergency WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) kits for over 1 million people. Using direct feedback, UNICEF refined emergency response and hygiene kits to best suit families’ needs, sourcing local products and customizing for the people using the kits like mothers, babies and people with special needs.

Kits that Fit will now help UNICEF deliver aid more effectively to the 94 million children in need of humanitarian assistance around the world. I’m sure we all can see why that makes so much more sense than collecting goods in our communities, assuming they are needed and sending them into the kind of complex environment disasters create.

When the next hurricane hits our neighbors in the Caribbean, Central America or Mexico—and it will, likely soon—be generous by providing funding to UNICEF or other professional relief agencies that understand what supplies fit the context.

Help the experts do what they’ve been trained to do.