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Disaster
survivors prove more resilient than aid agencies expect 28 October 2004 Supporting community resilience is the key to reducing the impact of disasters. The resilience and capacity of disaster-affected people to cope with apparently hopeless situations is the main theme of the World Disasters Report 2004, which was released today (28 October) by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Report, in its 12th year of publication, highlights the impressive capacity of people from across the developing – and developed – world to cope with even the worst situations. The Report underlines the necessity for the aid community to put a much stronger emphasis on assessing local strengths and resources, rather than focusing just on need or vulnerability. Failure to include communities in disaster mitigation and response can undermine their resilience to risks. “The capacity for resilience in the face of adversity shines through all this year’s stories. People continually adapt to crisis, coming up with creative solutions. Supporting resilience means more than delivering relief or mitigating individual hazards. Local knowledge, skills, determination, livelihoods, cooperation and access to resources are all vital factors enabling people to bounce back from disaster,” says Markku Niskala, Secretary General of the International Federation Bam earthquake: hundreds of lives saved by local volunteers The Bam (Iran) earthquake, in December 2003, killed some 30,000 people, injured another 30,000 and destroyed 85 per cent of the city’s buildings. Whereas 34 international rescue teams found 22 people alive, local Red Crescent volunteers saved nearly 160 lives. Neighbours and volunteers from other provinces and local organizations saved hundreds more. Gujarat’s poor invest to recover The poor were the first and most active investors in their own recovery after the earthquake that devastated the Indian town of Bhuj in 2001. By 2003, 9,800 families in low-income areas of Bhuj had invested around US$ 290,000 into strengthening their homes and livelihoods. As resident Mohangar Gaswami put it: “I do not want relief or compensation. If I can run my business well, that is my best coping”. Tuti islanders fight floods Tuti is a highly flood-prone island on the Nile in Khartoum (Sudan). To protect themselves, local people have elevated the entrances of their homes, plastered walls with water-resistant mud, and shored up riverbanks with sandbags and trees. When river waters rise, a flood committee organises 24-hour patrols, while volunteers use drums and the mosque's megaphone to warn the population. Through well-organised coping, Tuti's people have withstood flooding without suffering major casualties or depending on external aid. The Report underlines that the time has come to dispel the myth of helpless victims. After decades of rhetoric it is now time for action: aid organizations must build on the resources and resilience found in disaster-prone communities or risk undermining those capacities further. For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: Siân Bowen, Head, Media Service Tel. + 41 22 730 44 28 / + 41 79 217 33 88 Marie-Françoise Borel, Information Officer Tel. + 41 22 730 43 46 / + 41 79 217 33 45 Eva Calvo Tel. + 41 22 730 43 57 / + 41 79 217 33 72 Roy Probert Tel. + 41 22 730 42 96 / + 41 79 217 33 86 Media Service Duty Phone Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81 The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 178 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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