"Many people in developing countries don't rely much on governments, and even after a disaster, they just go ahead and do it, " said Peter McCawley, an economist at the Australian National University and a specialist on disasterreliefpolicy.
For all those in this category, the new policy will provide rapid relief: insurers will pay up as soon as the scale of the disaster has been determined (by a recognised international meteorological office), whatever view the aid agencies take.