INTRODUCTION

After a large disaster, the immediate effects at the basic personal level include: deaths, injuries, damage to housing, and interruption of safe drinking water and food sources. In the minutes, hours, and days, the main task of individuals, local governments, civil-society organizations, and mass organizations (e.g. Red Cross or Crescent chapters, Women’s Union), is to conduct disaster response activities to address immediate disaster effects. The activities are the first priority, in order to sustain life of the affected people. The urgent activities must occur in the uncertain and highly-dynamic situation after a disaster.

 

DISASTER CONTEXT

The aim of disaster response is to provide immediate assistance to maintain life, improve health and support the morale of the affected population. Such assistance may range from providing specific but limited aid, such as assisting affected population with transport, temporary shelter, water and food, to establishing semi-permanent settlement in camps and making sure that the population health is maintained, including its environment.

 

It also may involve initial repairs to damaged infrastructure, before large reconstruction efforts. The focus in the response phase is on meeting the basic needs of the people until more permanent and sustainable solutions can be found.

 

As the immediate response transitions to longer-term support for the disaster affected community, the focus shifts to activities that assist people to return to normalcy and manage the secondary effects of the impact of the disaster like psychosocial support, rehabilitation of injured people, and taking the opportunity in building back better and improving preparedness of the people to be more resilient and able to manage the next disaster and reduce its impact to individuals and the community as a whole.

 

THE RIGHT TO LIFE WITH DIGNITY: INTRODUCING THE SPHERE PROJECT

Initiated in 1997 by a group of humanitarian non-government organizations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Sphere Project is based on two core beliefs: The people affected by disaster or conflict have a right to life with dignity and therefore a right to assistance; All possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of disaster or conflict.

In order to support the core beliefs, a set of minimum standards were prepared in key life-saving areas: A. Water supply, sanitation, and hygiene promotion B. Food security and nutrition C. Shelter, settlement, and non-food items D. Health action The minimum standards describe conditions that must be achieved in any humanitarian response in order for disaster-affected populations to survive and recover in stable conditions and with dignity. The inclusion of affected populations in the consultative process is key to the Sphere philosophy, and as such, is a key quality and accountability initiative for disaster response. Key to the Sphere approach is the Humanitarian Charter, which provides the ethical and legal background for the 4 Protection Principles.

The Sphere Handbook is available in multiple languages at: www.spherehandbook.org