About News Batten Experts Discuss Humanitarian Response to Earthquake in Haiti with BBC, Christian Science Monitor Aug 21, 2021 Erin Tor Batten Experts Discuss Humanitarian Response to Earthquake in Haiti with BBC, Christian Science Monitor Batten alum Makayla Palazzo (MPP ’18), Concern Worldwide U.S.'s advocacy and policy manager, joins BBC World News live from Port-au-Prince.Batten School experts are weighing in on the international humanitarian response to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook Haiti last weekend. Batten professor Kirsten Gelsdorf, director of Global Humanitarian Policy at UVA, spoke to The Christian Science Monitor about lessons learned by aid workers following Haiti’s 2010 quake. “[W]e learned a lot about community-driven support” and “how the international system can support local efforts instead of the other way around,” said Gelsdorf, who worked in 2010 as the Humanitarian Advisor to President Clinton in his role as the UN Special Envoy for the Haiti Earthquake. Batten alum Makayla Palazzo (MPP ’18), Gelsdorf’s former graduate teaching assistant, joined "BBC World News" live from Port-au-Prince to discuss the on-the-ground humanitarian response she’s part of as the advocacy and policy manager with Concern Worldwide U.S. “This is a really challenging operational environment for us,” said Palazzo, describing the scenes she’s observed and the local individuals she’s met during visits to the most impacted parts of the country. Read The Christian Science Monitor article, “After Haiti quake, aid workers make respect a part of relief” and watch Palazzo’s full "BBC World News" interview. Kirsten Gelsdorf Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of Global Humanitarian Policy. Gelsdorf has 19 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector, most recently serving as the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Innovation section at the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Read full bio Related Content Kirsten Gelsdorf Batten’s Gelsdorf Speaks with The Washington Post, NPR’s Marketplace About the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine News As Russia’s war in Ukraine closes in on a month, news outlets across the country continue to turn to Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf for insight into the humanitarian side of the crisis. Humanitarian corridors could help civilians safely leave Ukraine – but Russia has a history of not respecting these pathways News As experts on international humanitarian policy and relief efforts, Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf and co-author Jacob Kurtzer write that while humanitarian corridors could create safe exit routes out of besieged cities – and allow aid to reach people within Ukraine – they are only part of the solution to protecting civilians during war. Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Kirsten Gelsdorf Kirsten Gelsdorf is a professor of practice of public policy at the Batten School and the Director of Global Humanitarian Policy. Gelsdorf has 19 years of experience working in the humanitarian sector, most recently serving as the Chief of the Policy Analysis and Innovation section at the United Nations Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Read full bio
Batten’s Gelsdorf Speaks with The Washington Post, NPR’s Marketplace About the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine News As Russia’s war in Ukraine closes in on a month, news outlets across the country continue to turn to Batten Professor Kirsten Gelsdorf for insight into the humanitarian side of the crisis.
Humanitarian corridors could help civilians safely leave Ukraine – but Russia has a history of not respecting these pathways News As experts on international humanitarian policy and relief efforts, Batten's Kirsten Gelsdorf and co-author Jacob Kurtzer write that while humanitarian corridors could create safe exit routes out of besieged cities – and allow aid to reach people within Ukraine – they are only part of the solution to protecting civilians during war.