Going the last mile for children caught up in disasters

Catastrophic storms like this are no longer an exception – they are the new normal. The super storm in Vanuatu provides a tragic backdrop to the need for urgent action to plan and prepare for natural disasters and how we respond to them.

The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) was put in place 10 years ago, to detail the work needed for all different governmental and non-governmental sectors to reduce the loss from natural disasters. In short, it was there to drum home the importance of reducing vulnerability in the face of disasters.

For me, it was a way to bridge the gap between development and disasters. I was involved from the outset and my fellow humanitarian colleagues agreed that governments had to invest in disaster risk management (DRM) structures for their country, and do it quickly.

The reason was there for all to see – and it was devastating.

When the 2005 earthquake struck Pakistan, 19,000 children died, most of them in widespread collapses of school buildings. At the time, building regulations were not being enforced on public schools – and ultimately it was the children who suffered.

A decade on, there has been a huge shift by governments across the world. It’s worked, as budgets have been set aside and governments have been quick to act, proving DRM can and will save lives.

In 1999, a cyclone tore across Odisha (Orissa), India, killing some 10,000 people. Marked improvement in DRM meant Cyclone Phailin, which struck the same area in 2013, claimed just 27 lives as the local government ensured communities were evacuated.

Now, as the previous framework draws to a close, it’s time for a new framework to take the helm and it will be under discussion in Sendai, Japan this week, as 8,000 people gather together for the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The job isn’t done, not by a long shot. Vanuatu provides a stark illustration of this. Right now we’re approaching the last mile in action.

It is essential that the progressive actions taken filter down to local governments, but it’s imperative that this happens globally and that clear targets are put in place to drive stronger improvements. However, no matter how much money is ploughed into disaster risk reduction, if the message doesn’t reach the community level, there’s no point.

Over the past decade it has been clear to see that the most efficient vulnerability reduction programmes are those that grow from community level, and then connect with government structures at a regional, national and international level – so, for me, that’s the place to start.

I work for child-rights organisation Plan International, and one way we’re reaching these communities is through young people.

Millions of children are affected by disasters every year and the frequency and ferocity are increasing. Moreover, when a disaster strikes, children and young people tend to suffer disproportionately.

It is imperative they know what to do, and that’s why Plan has put in place a Safe Schools Global Programme, which engages partners in the education sector to promote schools as a platform for children and youth to grow up safely.

With children spending up to 50 per cent of the time their waking hours in school, the need to be prepared to deal with a disaster during school time is very real. Yet all too often school facilities are at risk of extensive damage.

If a school is not built and maintained to withstand an earthquake or constructed to tackle a typhoon, it can cause irreplaceable loss to families, communities and countries – not to mention lifelong injuries. It can also have a big impact on a child’s education.

From Bangladesh to the Philippines, I have seen how these programmes have helped prepare children for disasters – and saved countless lives. 

After the flooding in Bangladesh, I met a young man who told me how he’d alerted his family, buried all their important paper work and moved to a safe shelter.

Another moment that proved the importance of preparedness was after Typhoon Haiyan tore the Philippines apart. As part of Plan’s response, I visited numerous barangays (districts). Charts on the town council’s office walls told the story. In Balankayan, Eastern Samar, the chart declared “zero dead, zero missing, zero injured” of its 10,226 population. Yet neighbouring towns saw scores killed when the wrong buildings were chosen as evacuation centres, or people stayed put. The community of Balangkayan were prepared and as soon as they learnt about Haiyan, they moved to safety and managed to keep track of everyone.

Now, as the new framework that will replace Hyogo comes under discussion, we are calling for the protection of schoolchildren and students in the education environment to be prioritised. I want to see children actively trained on preparing for disasters – something Plan is taking seriously.

Investing in disaster preparedness can and will save many lives – and this starts from a young age. For me, children really are the last mile in action.

 

Roger Yates is humanitarian director for Plan International, an international development organisation operating in 51 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote and protect the rights of children (www.plan-international.org).