Overcoming Barriers to Service Delivery in Disasters

Area of Science:

• Disaster Management and Public Health
• Sociology of Disasters

Background:

• Increasing frequency and severity of unexpected events necessitate improved disaster management strategies.
• Current disaster response efforts face significant obstacles in serving affected populations effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify critical obstacles hindering effective disaster service delivery.
• To propose practical solutions and strategies for enhancing disaster response and support for affected groups.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of a conventional type, conducted in 2024.
• Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 17 participants (experts, officials, affected individuals).
• Data analysis using Granheim and Lundman's method; reliability ensured by Lincoln and Guba's criteria.

Main Results:

• 348 themes identified, refined to 245, categorized into eight main areas: Management, Resources, Programs, Education, Organization, Community, Participation, and Spiritual Affairs.
• 29 subcategories were extracted, providing detailed insights into disaster service delivery.

Conclusions:

• Key obstacles include inadequate management, insufficient resources, and poor coordination in disaster service delivery.
• Solutions involve enhancing communication, clarifying roles, promoting community participation, strengthening public education, and updating regulations.
• Integrating local cultural and spiritual support systems is crucial for improving crisis response effectiveness.