Disaster rescue and recovery; helping

Once a disaster strike like Nepal recently, many people want to go there to help.  Sometimes that’s not an issue. I used to work for a fire department which supplies people for the national urban search and rescue unit. So I know some of my former co-workers were send to Nepal. They are trained and have their logistics done, so no worries there. But what about the average Joe who want to fly over to help?

There are a few things to consider, why would you go to a disaster area to help. Is it your feel good trip or because you can actually do something useful? People might say they want to do something useful but in practise are not.

To help in a disaster area, you first need to make sure you are not using their resources. People don’t have a place to sleep, no food and water and you fly in and don’t have those things there either? Well maybe you should take care of that first. If you have to take their shelter, water and food, then you are using resources the victims need. Meaning you are not helping, but you are a burden.

Then the second question, what are you going to do there? If you do not have specialist skills and knowledge which is needed, then the only thing you can provide is helping numbers and muscle. But there generally is enough numbers and muscle. So why compete with the locals. The locals speak the language, know the area, known the local customs and are in general more useful. It’s the same issue I mentioned when people go to Africa to help build a school. You are not helping, but competing with the locals. They are poor, but have enough people. So sending more people to volunteer for work, is the worst thing you can do. Send money and hire a local professional is probably cheaper than your plane ticket and if you are not trained, they will also perform a better job. Their income will also further boost the local economy. The same goes with disaster relief. Give jobs to locals to help normalise there situation and there for indirectly boost the economy there.

Disaster recovery is a profession. It requires training to get the right skills and local knowledge. If you do not know the local customs, do not know the culture and language you probably doing more harm than good. Remember It’s not about you. Disaster recovery is about the victims.