In 2016, Cyclone Winston devastated Fiji – flattening villages, cutting power, and leaving hundreds of thousands in urgent need. But as the crisis unfolded, aid stalled. Bureaucracy delayed funding, costing time and lives. 

Nine years later, the system remains broken. Disaster response is fragmented, and vulnerable nations are left waiting. With foreign aid shrinking and the next crisis inevitable, how can we fix it before it’s too late? 

In this episode, Tortoise editor Jeevan Vasagar talks to Kathy Baughman McLeod and Dan Lund about how pre-arranged financing could finally break the costly cycle of response and recovery. 

Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Counter Crisis is brought to you by the Centre for Disaster Protection, which helps countries find better ways to manage disaster risk – protecting lives, livelihoods, and economies before crisis strikes.

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