Social Entrepreneurship in Disaster Relief and Crisis Response

Abstract

The presence of both governmental and humanitarian organizations has always dominated the field of disaster relief and crisis response, but the increasing frequency and complexity of global crises has demonstrated the weakness of the traditional systems of aid. The impending role of social entrepreneurship as a novel, sustainable, and community-driven mechanism of disaster management is discussed in this paper. Based on case studies in a variety of settings (post-earthquake reconstruction efforts, the resettlement of refugees, and the pandemic response), this research paper will examine how social enterprises can mobilize local resources, use technology, and apply business principles to achieve social impact during a crisis. The study highlights the ability of such ventures to combine social mission and market-driven efficiency, which can be adapted more quickly, financially stable, and sustainable long-term recovery results that do not only focus on immediate relief. It also focuses on the enabling policies that play a role in social entrepreneurship in times of crisis that are social capital, cross-sectoral collaboration, and digital connectivity. The obstacles such as the lack of funding, ethical issues and the integration with the formal humanitarian systems are critically addressed. The results indicate that the social entrepreneurs serve as mediating players who fill institutional gaps and empower the affected groups based on participation, building of skills, and innovation. Social entrepreneurship is a transformative approach towards community resilience in the context of redefining the roles of business and humanitarianism to recover collectively. The paper concludes by coming up with policy recommendations on how social enterprise initiatives can be integrated within the national disaster management systems and proposes that more empirical studies should be carried out on the long-term socioeconomic effects of such initiatives.