Disaster relief operations

Natural disasters, as well as some human-caused disasters, lead to human suffering and create needs that the victims cannot alleviate without assistance.
When any disaster strikes, a variety of international organizations offer relief to the affected country.
Each organization has different objectives, expertise, and resources to offer, and several hundred may become involved in a single major disaster.
In the event of a disaster, the government of the affected country must conduct a needs assessment to determine what emergency supplies and personnel are required.
Disaster relief operations are complex and can benefit greatly from careful planning.
Improved disaster preparedness can help save lives, reduce the suffering of survivors, and enable communities to restart normal life more quickly. As the efficiency of disaster relief operations is very dependent on the quality of the preparation,
Disasters often pose significant health threats. One of the most serious concerns after a disaster, especially a natural disaster, is sanitation.
Disruptions in water supplies and sewage systems can pose serious health risks to victims because they decrease the amount and quality of available drinking water and create difficulties in waste disposal.
Drinking water can be contaminated by breaks in sewage lines or the presence of animal cadavers in water sources.
These factors can facilitate the spread of disease after a disaster.
Providing potable drinking water to victims and adopting alternative methods of sanitation must be a priority after a disaster.
Food shortages are often an immediate health consequence of disasters. Existing food stocks may be destroyed or disruptions to distribution systems may prevent the delivery of food.
This may lead to malnutrition or death of hunger especially in populations which are particularly susceptible to malnutrition, such as children under five years of age and pregnant women.

1. Disaster relief operations IYUMVA Aimable BNS Student, CLARKE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Kampala

2. Learning objectives By the end of this lecture, students should be able: To understand the concept of disaster relief operations To explain phases of disaster relief and activities that should be done in each phase.

3. I ntroduction Natural disasters, as well as some human-caused disasters, lead to human suffering and create needs that the victims cannot alleviate without assistance. When any disaster strikes, a variety of international organizations offer relief to the affected country. Each organization has different objectives, expertise, and resources to offer, and several hundred may become involved in a single major disaster. In the event of a disaster, the government of the affected country must conduct a needs assessment to determine what emergency supplies and personnel are required.

4. Introduction cont….. Disaster relief operations are complex and can benefit greatly from careful planning. Improved disaster preparedness can help save lives , reduce the suffering of survivors, and enable communities to restart normal life more quickly . As the efficiency of disaster relief operations is very dependent on the quality of the preparation ,

5. Disasters often pose significant health threats. One of the most serious concerns after a disaster, especially a natural disaster, is sanitation. Disruptions in water supplies and sewage systems can pose serious health risks to victims because they decrease the amount and quality of available drinking water and create difficulties in waste disposal. Drinking water can be contaminated by breaks in sewage lines or the presence of animal cadavers in water sources. These factors can facilitate the spread of disease after a disaster. Providing potable drinking water to victims and adopting alternative methods of sanitation must be a priority after a disaster.

6. Food shortages are often an immediate health consequence of disasters. Existing food stocks may be destroyed or disruptions to distribution systems may prevent the delivery of food. This may lead to malnutrition or death of hunger especially in populations which are particularly susceptible to malnutrition , such as children under five years of age and pregnant women.

7. Health risks of disaster Disasters can also cause disruptions to the health care infrastructure. Hospitals and health centers may suffer structural damage, or health personnel may be among the casualties, limiting the ability to provide health services to disaster victims. Emergency Health Kits that contain essential medical supplies and drugs are often provided to victims as part of the immediate response to disasters.

8. Natural disasters do not usually result in infectious disease outbreaks. However, certain circumstances can increase the chance for disease transmission. Immediately after a disaster, most increases in disease incidence are caused by fecal contamination of water and food supplies. This contamination usually results in intestinal disease. Outbreaks of communicable diseases are directly associated with population density and displacement. If disaster victims live in overcrowded conditions or are forced to leave their homes, the risk of a disease outbreak increases. An increased demand on water and food supplies, elevated risk of contamination, and disruption of sanitation services all contribute to the risk of a disease outbreak.

9. These kits are designed to meet the primary health care needs of people without access to medical facilities. Each kit covers the needs of about 10,000 persons for three months The twelve essential drugs in the basic kit include anti- inflammatories , an antacid, a disinfectant, oral dehydration salts, an antimalarial , a basic antibiotic (effective against the most common bacteria ), and an ointment for eye infections.

10. These medicines can treat the most common illnesses of disaster victims, such as anemia , pain, diarrhea, fever, respiratory tract infections, eye and ear infections, measles, and skin conditions. The basic kit also includes simple medical supplies such as cotton, soap, bandages, thermometers, some medical instruments, health cards and record books, and items to help create a clean water supply.

11. In the longer term after a disaster, the risk for vector-borne diseases increases. Vector-borne diseases are spread to humans by insects and other arthropods, such as ticks or mosquitoes. Vector-borne diseases are of particular concern following heavy rains and floods. Insecticides may be washed away from buildings and the number of mosquito breeding sites may increase.

12. Cont…. During disaster relief, its needed to provide valuable supplies and personnel to victims and help to minimize the social, economic, and health consequences of a disaster. Health concerns, such as potential disease outbreak, malnutrition, and poor sanitation, should be addressed immediately after a disaster to avoid serious health consequences.

13. Phases of disaster relief Particularly with disaster relief, it's important to remember that the opportunity to make a difference does not end when media coverage dies down. Rather, there are four phases of relief work: From the first, which begins as soon as disaster strikes, through the fourth, continuing the efforts of future prevention and risk reduction.

14. Phases cont….. Phase 1 begins immediately, focusing on restoring order to the area. Phase 2 quickly follows as residents work toward stabilization and a return to daily activities. Phases 3 and 4 are marked by community-led rebuilding and ongoing preparedness education in order to mitigate future catastrophe by building better and creating an informed population.

15. Phase 1: Immediate Phase 2: Intermediate Phase 3: Long term Phase 4: Disaster preparedness Time frame Day of disaster to a week after weeks after disaster 6 months to 1 year after Weeks/months after disaster 1 to 15 years after Ongoing/continuous Goal Short term triage to establish order Stabilization Rebuilding for a better future Emergency risk reduction and prevention Services provided Rescue, medical attention, food, water, temporary shelter Food, water, long-term shelter, sanitation, healthcare, return to school and work Engagement of local population in planning and reconstruction of communities Training, policy and procedure creation, relationship building among service providers and communities Media Extensive coverage; high emotional pull Coverage declines as first emergency efforts dissipate Coverage continues to decline Little coverage; no emotional pull

16. Phase I Also called emergency relief phase During the first phase of emergency relief, victims need the minimum requirements for survival; such as food, water, blanket, and medicines The relief effort for this phase can be prepared in advance by government agencies. Phase 1 support may be better implemented by national or international organizations able to assemble resources from unaffected areas and those that have the knowledge and capacity to act immediately and with impact.

17. Phase I cont…. In this phase, the most crucial issue is the operational time. Goods should reach victims as soon as possible since the faster arrival means the higher possibility to save more lives. The period of the first phase generally takes approximately some days to a week. After this period, it enters into the second phase when some victims are able go back to their homes while some victims whose houses were seriously damaged still remain at shelters.

18. Phase II An intermediate phase of disaster relief which aim at stabilization of affected community and Relief efforts for victims living at shelters. In some cases, stress can lead to suicide and domestic abuse, Referrals to mental health professional should continue as long as the need exists. Reintroduce programmes such as the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI); Reinstate the care and treatment of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases such as TB and HIV/AIDS. This transition must be coordinated by the nurse and other health workers concerned.

19. Phase III It is a Long term phase to rebuild for a better future The third phase is when most victims are able to go back home but some need to stay longer and are moved to temporary houses. local population are engaged in planning and reconstruction of communities

20. Phase IV victims resume normal lives For the fourth phase, although victims have resumed normal life, they still need some support in order to restore their quality of life faster; there are still some donors wishing to provide support. The requirement of goods will be the most varied by the individual needs of victims . This support might be performed directly by each pair of individual donors and victims . Training, policy and procedure creation, relationship building among service providers and communities

21. References https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/giving-strategies/disaster-relief/disaster-relief.shtml Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_management