Guide to What You Can Do

Following a Disaster

By Justin Kemp
2005

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Table of Contents
Introduction

1. Find out what’s happening

Where, what & who?
Is it happening again and again?
What are the wider issues?
Who is doing what?
What type of aid is being offered by governments?

2. Doing Something
Travelling to the affected area to assist
Response and relief deployment
Assisting with appeals
Inquiry call centres

3. Giving Something: Should I Give Money or Goods?

3.1 Giving Money
Giving money to in-country groups
Think “long-term”
Decide what you want to give money for
Other causes
Scams and fake appeals
Follow up your donation
3.2 Giving Goods

4. Links
Disaster information providers
Alternative / Independent media
Aotearoa New Zealand-based international disaster relief organisations
Disaster relief worker registers
Disaster relief training
New Zealand Red Cross inquiry call centre
Disaster relief standards
Volunteer organisations
Development employment opportunities
Organisations involved in the distribution of goods

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Introduction

Disaster events around the world are often accompanied by stories and images of
destruction and suffering that can elicit an immediate desire to help those who have
been hit.

This guide provides some options on what you can do and also some of the issues
you should consider so you can make an informed decision on how you can help
those affected by disasters overseas. It is aimed at Aotearoa New Zealand residents.

1. Find out what’s happening

Finding out as much as you can about the disaster and the events surrounding it will
help you make an informed decision about how you can appropriately contribute.
Learn as much as you can about the disaster event, including what happened, what
is currently going on and think carefully about how you can contribute towards
assisting those affected.

Take an interest in news and media reports that cover the event, and do you own
research. Consider widening your sources of information to include alternative and
in-country news sources and don’t assume the mainstream media exclusively covers
all the important issues. Alternative news sources and disaster information providers
can often give details or insights that the mainstream media may miss or disregard
as unimportant. These sources are often best accessed through the Internet (see
links below).

Some questions to consider include:

Where, what & who?

Where did the disaster happen? What was the nature of the event? What type of
hazard was involved?

Knowing the details of the nature and effects of a disaster event can help you to
understand what assistance may be needed and for how long. For example, people
affected by flooding will have different needs from those affected by a volcanic
eruption, and the relief and rehabilitation efforts may involve different time frames.

Which groups or communities are calling for assistance or have been the most
heavily affected?

Be aware that those communities that have been the most heavily affected by a
disaster are not always the most vocal in calling for assistance. If possible, identify
those communities that are located in the areas most heavily affected.

What is the culture of those affected?

Take note of the culture/s of the communities affected, as assistance is most

effective when it is culturally acceptable to the people receiving it. Providing goods
like food or clothing that are culturally offensive or impractical to the local population
can be a waste of time and money.

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Is it happening again and again?

Take note of which countries or communities are repeatedly being hit by disaster.
This can be an indication that they have a high-level of vulnerability to hazards.
Hazards such as earthquakes, cyclones and floods are often impacting communities
- it is their vulnerability that dictates whether a hazard event will have disastrous
results. Communities that are frequently being struck by disasters need to address
the development issues that are contributing to their vulnerability and look at
preparedness, mitigation and risk-reduction efforts. Knowing that the event can be a
regular occurrence means you can focus your support of assistance towards
programs or projects that lower future vulnerability. These may involve longer-term
development activities and may differ considerably in nature to relief efforts.

What are the wider issues?

Look into whether those who have been struck by a disaster face other development
issues such as severe poverty, environmental degradation, HIV/AIDS, poor sanitation
or child health? Do they have meagre housing, live in slum areas, or are they in
conflict with the government or other groups? These are the types of issues that can
influence not only how people have been affected by the disaster event, but can also
have large implications for response, relief and rehabilitation efforts. A large influx of
aid money to specific groups within a society can often exacerbate pre-existing
conflicts. An over-emphasis on rehabilitating infrastructure can also take much-
needed funds away from addressing other development problems. These are the
types of issues to be aware of.

Who is doing what?

The period following a disaster can see a multitude of organisations becoming

involved in relief and rehabilitation work and running appeals. Understanding who is
doing what can help you identify which organisation you may wish to support or
assist. Identify those organisations that are directly involved in-country relief
operations. Find out what these organisations are doing, how long they have been
associated with the area, and which groups they are dealing with. Also, when looking
at organisations running appeals, find out to who and where the money is going and
what it is being used for (see Who should I support?).

Although outside experts are often essential, when local people have the skills to
conduct the relief and rehabilitation efforts themselves they should be employed to
do so. This can build the capacity of people to be able to respond to disasters and
means the lessons learnt from the event are not lost overseas. Support those
programs or projects that utilise in-country expertise.

What type of aid is being offered by governments?

Donor governments are often quick to offer assistance to countries hit by disaster,
however, it is good to know the type of aid they are proposing. Understanding the
nature of aid and debt relief in post disaster situations can help you be clear in your
support of donor country assistance. Be aware of aid policy come election time, and
support international or domestic campaigns calling for debt relief or an end to the
“tying” of aid.

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Grants or Loans?

Grants used specifically for disaster relief or development, provide monetary

assistance without enforcing the burden of affected countries having to meet loan
repayments. Placing countries in need of disaster assistance in debt by giving aid in
the form of loans can create future financial problems for the affected country. This
can also indirectly increase vulnerability by diverting money that could be used for
disaster management or development.

Technical Assistance

Providing technical assistance is another common form of disaster assistance made

by governments. Experts that are needed for relief operations, such as doctors,
engineers, disaster management or logistics professionals, are often sent at the
request of the affected country. This provides skilled practitioners that are trained in
operating in disaster zones, and can contribute effectively to post-disaster
operations.

It is important that the experts provided have the required training and expertise and
that they contribute to, rather than replace, the efforts of in-country experts. Outside
experts working closely with in-country practitioners can build capacity and enables
skills to be exchanged between both groups.

Goods

Goods, such as food aid and medical equipment are often urgently needed following
a disaster event and are a common form of assistance. In order to avoid aid being
inappropriate it is important that these goods are called for by those affected and are
suitable for the situation. It is also important that there are effective distribution
systems to ensure the goods arrive in the disaster area as soon as possible.

Debt Relief

Debt relief is another form of economic assistance that may be offered by donor
nations to countries affected by disasters. Many developing countries prone to
disasters have heavy debt burdens, and debt relief can free up funds for disaster
relief and rehabilitation. Debt relief for this purpose should be based on a real
cancellation of debt rather than a freezing of repayments. Freezing debt repayments
can result in a build-up of interest and ultimately affect a country’s international credit
rating.

“Tied” Aid

Is the aid being offered “tied” to the donor-country? The “tying” of aid involves donor
governments providing assistance, but with strings attached, such as ensuring that
goods or services used originate from the donor country and nationals of the donor
country implement the aid work. These stipulations can create negative impacts such
as increasing the cost of aid projects through having to purchase uncompetitive
products, and the loss of capacity building opportunities that could have be gained
through using in-country personnel. Some countries are moving away from this
practise, however, many donor governments still only give aid that is “tied”.

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2. Doing Something

Travelling to the affected area to assist

Understandably, wanting to travel to a disaster area to assist in response and relief

operations is often the first response to a disaster event.

Unless you have the relevant skills and experience along with the backing and
support of a logistics team to arrange flights, accommodation, transport, supplies and
services - DON’T.

This is not recommended for the following reasons:

Post-disaster environments can be very stressful situations and should not be

underestimated. If you have a bad reaction to the situation, you will do more harm
than good.
You will be an added burden on the local infrastructure and may actually displace
local people. Often resources are limited in times of disaster and the increased
pressure on local housing, food, water etc may actually result in you
disadvantaging the very people you are trying to help.
Unless you can speak the local language or have a translator who can help you
then your ability to communicate will be very limited and you may find the
situation very difficult to manage.

Response and relief deployment

An option for providing hands-on assistance in disaster situations is to become part

of a team that is deployed to the area as part of response and relief efforts. Having
organisational backing and being part of a professional team can help you avoid
many of the problems associated with going to assist on your own. These types of
positions, however, are usually very limited in number and often people are only
chosen for this type of work if:

They have extensive prior experience in disaster relief or development work.

They have technical skills that are in demand, such as medicine, engineering,
communications, water and sanitation, security etc. Often the country affected will
already have people with these skills.
They have language skills relevant to the affected area. This is not always
essential but is very useful.

If you have the types of skills that can be utilised in post-disaster situations, contact
an organisation that deploys response teams to disaster situations and put your
name forward. Some organisations keep registers of disaster relief workers for
immediate postings (see Links below). It would be highly recommended that you do
this prior to a disaster event to avoid inundating them during the critical response
period. You may need to be prepared to cover your own transport and expenses
costs and to work for free.

If you are serious about disaster response and relief deployment you may also wish
to consider training to supplement the skills you possess. This may be through
specific courses aimed at operating in disaster and emergency situations, disaster
management, or training in skills that are useful for disaster relief operations or
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logistics (e.g. first aid, four-wheel driving, languages, security, refugees, standards
and codes of conduct for post-disaster situations - see Links below). Think about
what role you would like to perform and look around for the relevant courses you can
take.

You may also consider getting involved in wider development work, as this can often
be beneficial in reducing a community’s vulnerability to disaster events. Communities
facing issues such as poverty, environmental degradation, health issues, poverty, or
are marginalized by socio-economic factors are often more vulnerable to the effects
of disasters. There are numerous options for becoming involved in development work
in disaster prone areas, including directly contacting an organisation you would like to
work or volunteer for, looking out for vacancies in your newspaper and on
organisational websites, or regularly checking websites that provide development
related job vacancies (see links below).

Assisting with appeals

You can often also assist organisations in the administration of disaster appeals.
Some of the tasks you may be able to assist with include:

Street collecting.
Organising and coordinating others involved in collections.
Collating and processing donations.
Transporting collectors.
Answering phones for appeals.

Call the office of the organisation running the appeal you would like to assist with and
ask if you can put your name down.

Inquiry call centres

Immediately following disaster events, people are often desperate to find out about
friends or relatives who may have been in the area or who are missing. One way you
can assist is to volunteer for an organisation that runs an inquiry call centre that
provides information for concerned people. Be aware that you may have to deal with
distressed people on the phone and that you may be required for long periods of
time. In Aotearoa New Zealand the organisation that conducts an inquiry call centre
following a disaster is the New Zealand Red Cross (see links below).

3. Giving Something: Should I Give Money or Goods?

Is it better to give money or goods? The quick answer is money.

Many organisations involved in disaster relief encourage the public to give money
over collecting and supplying goods for the following reasons:

It helps ensure that materials purchased are based on need. Local people and
those operating in the area are in the best position to assess the needs of those
affected and use donated funds accordingly.
It helps ensure that materials purchased are appropriate. There are many
examples of inappropriate goods being sent to assist relief efforts, often creating
more problems than they solve. Those in the area can ensure donations are used
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 for purchases of materials that fit with the social, cultural, political and
environmental context.
It supports local people and economies. Money spent on local goods in an
affected area can help provide a boost to local communities and assist in the
recovery.
It is efficient. Goods are costly to transport, can take time to reach the recipients,
and can be a drain on staff time and resources. Goods are also reliant on
effective distribution systems, which are not always available in a disaster zone.
This places them at risk of becoming held up in bottlenecked airports or seaports.

3.1. Giving Money

If you choose to make a donation to a disaster appeal there are a number of issues
you may wish to consider. These include:

Who should I support?

Before deciding which organisation/s you may wish to support, find out as much as
you can about the organisations involved and choose from those that you are most
comfortable with. You can do this through annual reports, organisational websites
(look for their “About” page) or by ringing their office. Find out about their history,
mission, values, what they stand for, and who they are affiliated to. Ask questions
such as:

Do they subscribe to a specific code of ethics?

Do they carry out the types of activities that have been asked for by the people
in need of assistance?
Are they working with in-country partners that are implementing the
operations?
Does the organisation fit with your own values?

Giving money to in-country groups

Donating to local communities, groups, or organisations that are based in the country
affected by a disaster means your contribution can build capacity as well as assisting
those in need. Often you can donate directly to these groups through the Internet,
however, watch out for fake websites or false appeals, and ask yourself the same
sorts of questions you would for domestic organisations. Donating to Aotearoa New
Zealand based organisations that are collecting on behalf of local groups can be just
as effective.

Think “long-term”

Immediate disaster response and relief is essential in times of need, however,

recovering from disasters can take a long time, and it is important that communities
respond by becoming more resilient to disaster events and reducing their risk and
vulnerability. This may require longer-term assistance and the funding of projects that
deal with wider development issues.

Spacing your donations over time or becoming a regular donor is beneficial in

ensuring money will be available when relief funds dry-up. It can also avoid
inundating organisations at the crucial response time.
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Some organisations can offer membership so you can provide continued support.
Consider donating to those organisations that have a track record of development
work in the area, especially those involved in disaster prevention, preparedness or
mitigation programmes or projects. Also, making long-term contributions to
organisations that do work on development issues outside of disaster assistance can
help reduce the vulnerability of people to disasters.

Decide what you want to give money for

Following a disaster event you may have identified, or feel strongly about, specific
issues you feel disaster relief operations need to address. Some examples may be
providing adequate health care, water, housing, or assisting specific groups or
communities. Donate to those organisations that are involved in the type of work you
would like to support, or, if you would like to see it used for a variety of tasks, spread
your donation across a number of different appeals.

Other causes

The global attention large disaster events attract can often see available resources
being used for disaster relief at the expense of other serious issues. Consider making
a simultaneous donation to a separate or domestic appeal that is outside of the
media spotlight.

Scams and fake appeals

Disturbingly, disaster events can be a catalyst for numerous scams and fake
appeals. Here are a few basic tips to allow you to avoid falling victim to scam artists:

Be wary of unsolicited telephone calls or doorknockers asking for donations. If

you are at all sceptical ask for verification of their credibility.
Watch out for fake websites or emails. Crosscheck the web-address of sites
asking for donations with the organisation they claim to be, and manually type in
urls (web-addresses) to avoid false links.
When donating online look for a padlock icon on the bottom-left hand of your
screen indicating the site is secure.
Never respond to unsolicited emails or pop-up windows asking for credit card
details, passwords or other personal information.

Also, be aware that profit-making fundraisers can solicit telephone donations on

behalf of appeals. These are not scams, but if you would like to ensure that your
entire donation is used for the appeal, send it directly to the organisation.

Follow up your donation

If you desire, follow up your donation by finding out what it is being used for. To avoid
taking up staff time, visit the website of appeals or organisations and look for
information or evaluations of relief operations. Doing this can give you the
satisfaction that your donation is making a difference.

3.2. Giving Goods

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Collecting and sending goods can often be detrimental to disaster relief operations
and many organisations actively discourage this practice. Unwanted or inappropriate
goods can place pressure on logistics and hamper efforts to get supplies through to
affected areas.

Only consider this option if there is a call for specific items based on local needs from
a legitimate and established organisation. Check to see if the organisation in
question is also involved in the logistics of transporting and distributing the goods so
that you know the goods will get to the people in need.

4. Links

Disaster information providers

Some key organisations providing disaster information include:

Dev-Zone
http://www.dev-zone.org/knowledge/Disasters_and_Emergencies/index.html

ReliefWeb
http://www.reliefweb.int

IRIN
http://www.irinnews.org

Humanitarian Early Warning Service - HEWSweb

http://www.hewsweb.org

Reuters AlertNet
http://www.alertnet.org/

Centre for International Disaster Information

http://www.cidi.org/

Alternative / Independent media

Scoop
http://www.scoop.co.nz

Indymedia
http://www.indymedia.org.nz/

IPS-Inter Press Service

http://www.ipsnews.net/

Aotearoa New Zealand-based international disaster relief organisations

NGO Disaster Relief Forum (NDRF)

The NDRF is a forum for New Zealand Non-Government Organisations involved in

international disaster relief. NDRF membership is made up of Aotearoa New Zealand

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based NGOs with a significant involvement in overseas disaster relief activity. For
more information, and a list of participating organisations, visit:

http://www.cid.org.nz/emergencies/NDRF/index.html

New Zealand Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org.nz

Disaster relief worker registers

Aotearoa New Zealand:

New Zealand Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org.nz/index.php?page=volunteers.php

RedR New Zealand

http://www.redrnz.org.nz

International:

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Central
Register of Disaster Management Capacities
http://ocha.unog.ch/cr

Disaster relief training

Aotearoa New Zealand:

RedR New Zealand

http://www.redrnz.org.nz/Training.aspx

International:

TorqAid (Australia)
Contact Chris Piper at:
pipercm@iprimus.com.au

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)

http://www.adpc.net/

See also:

ReliefWeb Training Opportunities

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwt.nsf/doc211?OpenForm

ReliefWeb Training Related Websites

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwc.nsf/doc427?OpenForm&Query=HAT

New Zealand Red Cross inquiry call centre

http://www.redcross.org.nz/index.php?page=nz_disaster.php
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Disaster relief standards

The Sphere Project

http://www.sphereproject.org

Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and
NGOs in Disaster Relief
http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/conduct

Volunteer organisations

Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia:

Volunteer Service Abroad

http://www.vsa.org.nz

Australian Volunteers International

http://www.australianvolunteers.com

International:
http://www.dev-zone.org/knowledge/Development_Practice/Development_Opportunities/Volunteer_Organisations/index.html

Development employment opportunities

Dev-Zone Development Employment database

http://www.dev-zone.org/jobs/

OneWorld Jobs
http://www.oneworld.net/job/list/professional

Organisations involved in the distribution of goods

Global Hand
http://www.globalhand.org

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