This study undertakes a review of existing law, policy and practice on the humanitarian protection of aliens on a temporary basis in times of disaster by States of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) – Belize, Canada. Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the United States of America (USA) – as well as selected countries from South America. It has been commissioned by the Nansen Initiative as a background paper to inform the Regional Workshop on Temporary Protection Status and/or Humanitarian Visas in Situations of Disaster that will take place in February 2015 in Costa Rica.