Ruth Hillenbrand of the British Red Cross
Volunteers have a major role to play in responding to an increasing number of disasters across the European Union (EU), according to a new report by the British Red Cross.
The British Red Cross says that government, emergency and health services in the 15 EU member states and the three European Economic Area countries are "always over stretched" in an emergency and that non-government organizations (NGOs), with volunteer workforces, can provide vital support. It argues that NGO volunteers are currently under used, under funded or not managed in a coordinated way.
Disasters reported in Europe have risen from 51 in 1992 to 90 in 2001, with the total number of people affected increasing from 372,000 in 1992 to 777,000 in 2001, according to the 2002 Red Cross and Red Crescent World Disasters Report.
The British Red Cross report, called The Role of Non-Governmental Organisations' Volunteers in Civil Protection in European Member States and European Economic Area Countries, was the fruit of 18 months' research into the role of voluntary action in civil protection across Europe. It argues that volunteers should always be involved in efforts to prepare for, and respond to, emergencies. They should also be a part of work to prevent disasters happening in the first place.
What came out of the report is that voluntary organizations should be looking to set up a proper continuum of management for their volunteers," says Moya Wood-Heath, British Red Cross head of emergency planning, who led work on the report. "To respond effectively, volunteers need proper training and support in recognition of the demands put on them in these conditions."
She adds: "It is only in the past decade that UK charities have started to develop services for those affected by, but not necessarily involved in, an emergency. Many EU countries have not yet made arrangements to provide facilities to help survivors and the bereaved, and this report will begin to show how a properly trained volunteer can be invaluable in such a situation.
"We should be working towards a time when there is a common standard of service across the EU. People should know that wherever they are, be it the UK or any other EU state, they will receive the same level of assistance."
British Red Cross recommendations include an expanded role for specially trained volunteers to provide support in a range of ways, including practical help, emotional support, medical care, and rescue and tracing; placing individuals affected by disasters centre-stage; introducing common guidelines across the EU; and greater funding for NGOs to enable a more effective response, particularly through corporate sponsors.
British Red Cross volunteers are on standby to respond to a host of different emergencies in the UK from rail crashes to severe weather conditions, such as extensive flooding, to the recent foot and mouth crisis which devastated much of Britain's farming community. In recent years, volunteers have assisted the statutory services at such emergencies as the Omagh bombing and the Potters Bar rail crash.
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