Causecast

Global humanitarian agencies are getting a boost in their ability to respond to emergencies like floods and earthquakes, and vulnerable communities are learning to prepare before disaster strikes, thanks to a new round of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Disasters hit hard in poor communities, and developing countries don’t always have the resources to prepare or respond. Long after a crisis disappears from the headlines, poor communities struggle with the trauma of lost lives and livelihoods, and hard-won gains in the struggle to overcome poverty can be lost.

As disasters increase in frequency and severity due to climate change and other factors, an effective, coordinated international response is urgently needed. Too often, the response to emergencies is fragmented and of inconsistent quality; coordination between international and local actors is poor; and accountability is lacking.

That’s been changing over the past three years, thanks to a joint effort between six of the largest global humanitarian agencies — CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision. The agencies, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Microsoft Corporation, launched the Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) Project in 2005.

A new $5 million grant from the foundation, along with the support of other donors, is taking that work to the next level. Over the next five years, ECB Phase II will provide response teams and disaster-affected communities with innovative new methods such as disaster simulations, guides for field staff, online data-sharing systems, and tools to build trust among rapidly assembled emergency teams from diverse backgrounds.

ECB Phase II will focus on five disaster-vulnerable countries and regions: Bolivia, Niger, the Horn of Africa, Bangladesh and Indonesia. These will serve as regional hubs, extending the reach of ECB’s work and learning to neighboring countries facing similar hazards.

At the same time, ECB Phase II will revamp emergency response structures at the six humanitarian agencies themselves, as well as foster collaboration and knowledge sharing across the global humanitarian sector.

“No one country or organization can handle emergency relief alone,” said Chip Lyons, director of special initiatives for the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Strong partnerships within the humanitarian community are critical to provide disaster victims with the assistance they need as quickly and effectively as possible,

The next five years will be a crucial period in the history of humanity’s struggle against natural and man-made disasters. The statistics are grim: during the last 30 years, the total number of people affected by emergencies has soared from an average of less than 100 million per year in the 1970s to approaching 300 million per year in the early 21st century. But with better skills, leadership, and coordination, people at risk will be prepared to anticipate and respond to the worst.