Recovery refers to those programmes which
go beyond the provision of immediate relief to assist those
who have suffered the full impact of a disaster to rebuild
their homes, lives and services and to strengthen their
capacity to cope with future disasters.
Following a disaster, life-saving assistance
is the most urgent need. The rapid provision of food, water,
shelter and medical care is vital to prevent further loss
of life and alleviate suffering. However, practical experience,
backed by research, supports the view that even at this
stage, relief must be conducted with a thought to the affected
community’s longer-term benefit and certainly should
not be prejudicial to it. And as people begin to get back
on their feet and rebuild their lives, aid agencies need
to help them to strengthen their resilience to future hazards.
Just restoring the pre-disaster status quo may inadvertently
perpetuate vulnerability. Likewise, development programmes
need to take into account existing risks and susceptibility
to hazards and to incorporate elements to reduce them. The
two approaches are interdependent, complementary and mutually
supportive.
The International Federation is a leading
humanitarian organization active in post-disaster and post-conflict
relief and rehabilitation. Whatever the nature of the disaster – flood, earthquake, industrial accident or civil
disturbance – there is an opportunity to link and
integrate relief, rehabilitation and development. To do
so effectively requires an analysis of the broader political,
social and economic context. In structural crises, for instance,
the provision of emergency relief should not create social
or economic distortions. In a protracted disaster, there
may be a need to rehabilitate livelihoods even while the
emergency is ongoing. Root causes need to be identified
and exposed.
For the International Federation, the
key to ensuring that both short-term and longer-term needs
are addressed is in supporting and strengthening the capacity
of the National Society to work with vulnerable communities.
