Advice for Aid & Relief Workers
General Principles
Migration and displacement make people very vulnerable to
health problems including nutritional, infection and
psychological difficulties.
Poor water supplies and sanitation make faecal-oral diseases
very likely.
Poor accommodation and drainage encourages diseases such as
malaria.
Children's are especially vulnerable to malnutrition when
food is in short supply.
Often these groups end up moving from one site to another.
Emergency care workers must anticipate being called on
urgently and keep up to date with vaccinations.
Confirm in advance that workers can tolerate anti-malaria
drugs that may be required.
Volunteers may wish to have personal belongings and
equipment prepared in advance.
Relief efforts must be carefully planned. 'Good will'
without planning can be counterproductive.
Response to Sudden Population Movements
Priorities are: blankets/shelter, water, food (including
fuel and cooking utensils), sanitation, measles vaccination and
vitamin A distribution.
Start with a rapid needs and capacity assessment.
Include a careful assessment of the likely adverse impacts
of aid (e.g. fuelling conflict, putting local farmers out of
business).
Work with and through local structures where possible
(capacity building). Build up a local team.
Understand existing development initiatives in the area and
national health strategies and work with rather than against
these.
Aim for sustainability when feasible. Have a thinking
approach to the situation.
Target women and children as they die first.
Primary health care is usually more effective than
interventions at secondary level.
Establish surveillance early on.
Use only drugs on the WHO essential drugs list.
Work on the political and diplomacy aspects.
You may need to lobby and use advocacy to mobilise a much
bigger aid effort.
Preparedness for a worsening of the situation is essential.
Rigorous audit, evaluation and monitoring is essential.
Good inter-agency co-ordination is critical.
Good leadership is needed to keep teams functional during
extreme stress.
Code of Conduct in International Relief
The humanitarian imperative comes first.
Aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of
the recipients and without adverse distinction of any kind.
Aid priorities are calculated on the basis of need alone.
Aid will not be used to further a particular political or
religious standpoint.
We shall endeavour not to act as instruments of government
foreign policy.
We shall respect culture and custom.
We shall attempt to build disaster response on local
capacities.
Ways shall be found to involve programme beneficiaries in
the management of relief aid.
Relief aid must strive to reduce future vulnerabilities to
disaster as well as meeting basic needs.
We hold ourselves accountable to both those we seek to
assist and those from whom we accept resources.
In publicity and advertising we recognise disaster victims
as dignified human beings.
For more information, please contact our office.
email us :
info@risklifesigns.co.uk